


Welcome to Gallifrey High

by TeddyBearDoctors



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: (i change the tags as i write since i don't really know what will happen), Alternate Universe - Teachers, Drunken Shenanigans, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Kissing, Past Rape/Non-con, Romance, Sexual Assault, protective Amy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-15
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-02-04 19:32:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 23,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1790617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeddyBearDoctors/pseuds/TeddyBearDoctors
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Smith is a physics teacher at Gallifrey high. John had no plans for his love life, no plans to even think about dating again but everything changes when Ms. Tyler joins in as the new English teacher. will John's friends be able to push them together and keep John from mucking everything up?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this story was originally posted at ff.net but i decided to move it because this setup is much better. anyway this is the first thing i wrote that i was actually proud of so i hope you like it too.
> 
> This will not be betad so if that bothers you then click that arrow in the corner of your screen and return to the previous page in which you were on. 
> 
> anyway this is basically an idea that i needed to get out. Rose is the new teacher at Gallifrey High and John Smith is an awkward man who loses his head the moment he sees her. Jack, Rory, Amy, River and Clara (and i might add a few others, i never know) will also take part in this story but its mostly a Rose/10 story. sorry this is so short but i hope you like it anyway.

John Smith watched as his class rushed out of the room for lunch. Normally he would just stay in his classroom and grade papers or something but today he had skipped breakfast so he needed to eat. When his best friend, who is also the sex ed teacher, stopped in and asked John if he wanted to go to the teachers' lounge and have some pizza, John agreed and they walked down the halls together. They dodged running students and slamming lockers as they made their way down the crowded halls of Gallifrey High.

"Have you seen the new English teacher?" Jack asked with a smirk tugging at his lips. John wasn't surprised that Jack new about the new teacher before him. Jack was charming and with his sparkling blue eyes, black hair and chiseled features, he was just a woman's-and a man's-dream. John wouldn't be surprised if Jack had already slept with the new teacher; it was just how Jack said hello.

"No, have you?" The moment those words left John's mouth he regretted them. No matter the gender or sexual orientation of a person Jack would always play a game with John, mainly to make him feel uncomfortable or see how long till he snaps; it's calls use as much detail as possible to describe how this stranger, and sometimes a friend, will be in bed. Jack could spend hours playing this game but every time he tries John walks away or closes a door in Jack's face, still tries though. Either way Jack can always take this awkward game and lead into one of his crazy stories about a past relationship or adventure and John wasn't usually to happy with those either, Jack can't tell a story that doesn't involve him ending up naked and/or having sex.

"Course I have" he winked at John and the teacher rolled his eyes. "She is a beautiful blonde with the most infectious smile, brilliant to, you would like her" Jack's blue eyes lit up with an idea and it made John's stomach tighten. The last time Jack said that he ended up in a ditch without his shoes; not a fun memory. John ran his fingers through his untamable brown mop of hair as he followed Jack into a small kitchen-like room with a large table in the middle. A few windows lined the back of the table and a fridge, counter and stove lined against the other side of the room.

"Doctor!" a young red head with never ending legs grinned warmly from her seat under the windows.

"Amelia!" he grinned back and made his way to the group. Rory, a fair haired and very shy young history teacher was sitting beside Amelia and munching on a piece of cheese pizza. Clara a short and awkward brunette who teaches foods was sitting on the other side of Amelia and drinking what looks like coffee. John sat beside Rory and looked at the two pizza boxes that sat on the table; one was a large cheese pizza while the other was Jack's favorite, sausage and olives.

"How was P.E.?" John asked suddenly not hungry now that he could smell the greasy cheese and meat.

"Boring, this rainy weather is messing up my schedule" Amy replied with a slight pout. Her elbow placed itself on the table and her chin rested in her hand.

"But rain is beautiful!" John grinned and Amy had to press her lips together tightly to keep from smiling back, his smile is so damn infectious.

"How was physics?" Rory asked before taking another bite of the cheesy dish.

"Is Reinette still politely asking you to screw her brains out?" Amy laughed. Reinette was a French student who would spend the entire class finding not so subtle ways to hit on John, it's becoming more and more obvious but John continues to ignore her. It's not that the girl isn't beautiful, she is, but John doesn't do that kinda thing; in fact he hasn't been in a relationship or even had sex in over six years. John has been waiting for someone he has a connection with and that person is most certainly not Reinette. and John wouldn't even consider doing anything close to that with his student, it's so wrong.

"Not in those words" he mumbled, a blush creeping across his cheeks. "I just can't wait for this year to end and her to leave"

"But the year just started" Jack chuckled "only been a month"

"One very long month" John sighed.

"Um, hello" a young girl with blonde hair and a nervous smile said as she entered the room.

"Ms. Tyler" Jack greeted flirtatiously and Ms. Tyler blushed.

"I just wanted to know when lunch ended" she bit her lip and continued to stand awkwardly in the doorway. John could feel his heart tripping over itself in his chest, she is gorgeous. Her blonde hair is like the golden wisps of a goddess and that beautiful color of whiskey that resides in her eyes makes him forget how to breathe…haven't felt that way in awhile.

"In about ten minutes" Amy replied with a smile "You must be the new English teacher"

"Ya, that's me" a brilliant smile lit about her face and his breath caught. Her tongue poked out from between her teeth and John understood why Jack mentioned her smile earlier, it's beautiful and infectious. He could feel his own lips curve up lightly.

"Come eat with us" Amy gestured to the empty seat beside John and Ms. Tyler made her way over. John could feel the itch in his legs begging him to run the second the beautiful woman sat beside him. He tried to ignore it but when Amy said something and the most perfect laugh escaped from Ms. Tyler's throat, he was done for.

"I have to go" he mumbled before running out of the room. He was speed walking down the halls and his heart was trying to break out of his ribcage. He had never felt like that before, never even a third of that in so long. Being around Ms. Tyler is going to be impossible! When did he turn back into a teenager? Maybe being around Jack too much and working around teenagers all day has made him age backwards.


	2. Chapter 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! okay so this chapter is pretty short and i'm sorry, it's also not very eventful, again sorry. however, we get an introduction to River Song! we also get the first conversation between Rose and John! okay so the next chapter will be longer, i promise! it will be loaded with Rose/John fluff (hopefully) along with Jack's antics and maybe a bit of Amy/Rory love. yay!

Chapter 2.

John ran a hand through his thick, brown head of hair and sighed. He hated working so late, it was exhausting, but he had so many papers to grade and he had been holding them hostage for over three weeks. He places a messy 'B' at the top of Andrew Gallagher's page in red ink and then tossed it into the pile he had completed. John briefly suggested getting up and making himself some coffee or tea but decided against it, he needed to finish these papers.

It had already been over an hour and John was only a thin stack away from freedom when he heard a knock from the doorway. He turned his head and his eyes widened as he saw Ms. Tyler smiling nervously in his doorway. she was still wearing the black trousers and purple jumper he had seen her in that morning but now her eyes looked tired and her hands were occupied with two mugs that, if his smell was any good and it is pretty fantastic, held tea.

"Um," she bit her lip nervously as she broke the silence. John hadn't meant to make her nervous, but perhaps running away the second she sat down and the first time they met was a bad way to begin. He smiled softly at her and urged her to continue. "I noticed that you were still here and thought you might want some tea" she finished and John grinned. Tea, he really needed tea…and perhaps the pink and yellow girl in his doorway wasn't so bad to have around either.

"I would love some" John announced cheerily. Ms. Tyler smiled, seeming much more relaxed, and walked over to his desk. She handed him the mug and he sipped it gratefully. "Thank you" he smiled as he placed the school bought, white, mug on his desk.

"Teachers have to help each other to survive" she grinned, her tongue sticking out from between her teeth, and John felt his heart stop all together.

"Well, um, ya, course we do" he stumbled over his words and Rose giggled.

"You teach Physics, right?"

"Yep!" John replied happily popping the 'p'.

"Does that make you a Doctor?" Rose asked "Amelia said that you like to be called Doctor and if you are one I supposed it made sense" The English teacher blushed as she finished talking and John chuckled.

"I'm a Doctor in everything!" he announced proudly.

"You think you're so impressive" She laughed softly and John scoffed.

"Well, Ms. Tyler, I am so impressive!" he objected with a mock expression of hurt.

"You'll have to prove that, Doctor" she waved goodbye and left John alone to finish his long overdue grading.

The next morning was, thank god, Friday and Jack was already making plans for everyone. He had stopped by John's class during fourth period and announced loudly that they were going drinking with the other teachers. Many of his students then laughed and asked what bar they were going to; Jack didn't answer, instead he left with a wink and grin. John rolled his eyes at Jack's retreating figure before returning to his class. He was in the middle of a lecture, that wasn't going to well if the increase in scorch marks on the ceiling were any indication, and now he lost his place.

"Where was I?" John asks as he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

"You were talking about bananas, again" a young brown haired boy, Sam was it?, replies nervously.

"Oh yes!" John grins from ear to ear as he thinks about bananas.

"You all like bananas, right? Good!" John claps his hands together in excitement. The rest of the class, which they had a good fifteen minutes left, was filled with information and trivia about John's favorite food. John hadn't meant to talk about bananas that long but once he got started he found it rather hard to stop. However, he did manage to explain the homework and pass it out before the bell rang.

"Bananas?" Ms. Tyler asks with a grin as she walks into John's class.

"Good source of Potassium" he replies cheerily. "Did you need something?"

She shifts on her feet and twists her finger in her earring before looking back up at John; nervous habit he guesses. "Did Jack say that it wasn't optional, the drinking thing?" she blushes that brilliant pink color and John doesn't think that anything could be more beautiful; other than her laugh and smile, and maybe her eyes…

"Ya, Jack does this a lot" John chuckles "It's a tradition that we go out whenever a new teacher joins us, erm, I mean joins the school" he pulls on his ear nervously "Weeeell, it's also a tradition for whenever Jack wants to go drinking and we all just kinda go along with it" "Always?" "It's not as bad as you think, we are a fun group of people" he grins at her she laughs.

"I'm sure you are, well I know Jack and Amy are. You on the other hand missed out when we had a very fun time in the teachers' lounge the other day" she crosses her arms over her chest and fixes John with a curious glance.

"Ya, uh, sorry 'bout that" John can feel the burning itch building, begging for him to run away before he can say anything else stupid; but he doesn't. "I had to, uh…"

"It's fine, as long as you don't run away if I sit with you tonight"

"You wanna sit with me?" that was stupid…

"Is that bad?"

"No! No, it's rather brilliant" John smiles and runs his fingers through his hair.

"See ya later then" she turns to leave but then John realizes something very important.

"Wait, you never told me your name" She turns back and looks at him curiously.

"I suppose I didn't. It's Rose, Rose Tyler" and she was gone.

"Rose Tyler" John rolls the name around in his mouth, testing every syllable as if it were a new candy. He continued to say it with a smile on his face, and rather loving the name, until Amelia poked her head in.

"Have you seen River?" Amy looked deeply troubled and her ginger hair continued to fall into her face, annoying her more then she already seemed. River Song, the VP at Gallifrey high, was Amelia's best friend. She has been in Amelia's life since they were kids back in Leadworth and she was responsible for getting Amy and Rory to admit they were hopelessly in love; okay Rory was hopelessly in love and Amy has fallen for the guy since then. River doesn't hang out with the group as much as she used to but it has mostly to do with her trips around the world to participate in archaeological digs and other historical events. Jack will often travel with her but he isn't a big fan of digging, just a fan of River. John met River when he started working with Jack, him and River were never as close as Amy and Jack got to her but he would still back her up in anything; not that River really needs backup-the girl is a freakin' hurricane of self-confidence and badass-ness.

"Nope, ask Jack" John replied as he tapped his pen against his desk; something he knows annoys Amelia.

"Ya" she rolls her eyes and disappears around the wall. John hopes no one else is going to pop in; he does have a class coming in any minute now.

"Morning, Mr. Smith" a smooth French accent says as his first few students wonder in the room.

"Good morning, Reinette" John replies without much enthusiasm. Reinette smiles at him and takes her seat at the front of the class just as most of the class piles into the room. Everyone takes a seat and talk quiet loudly as they wait for the second bell to ring. John turns on his computer and prepares to take attendance until the room falls silent.

"John" he looks over to see River Song smirking in his doorway-was it bother John day or something?

"Good morning, River" John smiles at her and stands from his desk to walk over.

River pushes her curly blonde hair away from her eyes before continuing. "You know I'm leaving this weekend, right?"

"Another dig, course I know" John couldn't stop fidgeting under the gaze of his students, his hands kept going to his hair or his neck and sometimes his ear, it was making him even more nervous. River always made him nervous because she knows everyone's secrets, not just the little ones but the huge ones that would probably kill you if they got out. John never knew how she could know everything about everyone but she did and even though his friends never cared he did; some things are meant to be kept buried.

"Good" River pressed a button on her strange watch as it started beeping and she sighed. "I'm needed somewhere but first I need a favor"

"Ya, okay, what?" another hand running through his hair.

"When I'm gone I'm not taking Jack so keep him in line and do the same with the principle and well, just keep things in order around here until I get back. You know how things crumble when I'm gone" River smirked again and John chuckled.

"I'll do my best"

"Thank you, Sweetie" with that River winked goodbye and was hurrying down the halls, her heels clicking on the tile floor becoming distant as she gets further away.

John turned back to his class and grinned. "Who's ready for a pop quiz?"


	3. Chapter 3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this Chapter is fairly short because I wanted to give you guys something to hold you up until I can get the bigger chapter finished. i really hope you guys are liking this so far but if something bothers you or you have an idea for something that could happen i would love to hear about it. :) this chapter was so fun to write though, i just love awkward Clara! okay enough of me talking, on with the show!

Chapter 3.

The bar was dark and smelled of old beer and peanuts but no one seemed to mind. It was full of laughter and very loud music that made talking tend to be shouting. The old leather booth that Jack had claimed for the group was now full of happy teachers and other school advisors. It was crowded but everyone was so busy talking and drinking that no one seemed to notice the cramped space they had decided to seat themselves at. Everyone except for John, that is, he was sitting next to Rose and his mind can't seem to get over the cramped space. Their legs pressed against each other and each time she reached for her drink her arm would brush against his, how can he survive this!?

Each second that he as to sit beside Rose Tyler and listen to her make perfect jokes and tell wonderful stories about her childhood is another second that could end in his death. Do all people feel this way? Probably not but it's not like John can ask. His best friend is basically a teenager who turns everything you say into an innuendo so telling him that John is about to explode just from sitting beside a girl is a bad idea. Suddenly he was snapped away from his thoughts as Jack hit him in the back of the head-since he is sitting on the other side of John. What bad luck, being squished between the girl of your dreams and Jack Harkness.

"John!" Jack said after hitting John upside the head. John glared at Jack and rubbed the back of his head where Jack had hit him.

"What?"

"Rose asked you a question and you were being your normal Rude-and-not-Ginger self and ignoring her" Jack explained with mock disappointment.

"Oh" John pulled on his ear nervously "What was the question?"

"I asked if you were okay" Rose explained with a worried expression on her beautiful face. He hates that she looks so worried; he just wants her to smile forever. He wants that heart stopping smile, with that tantalizing tongue poking out, to be on her face always. The only problem with that wish is that he would never have a beating heart again; at least he would die having the last thing he saw be Rose Tyler's smile. "You haven't touched your drink or said a word all night" Rose continued.

"I'm fantastic!" he grins at her and his eyes sparkle with joy when she smiled back. He can tell that she doesn't completely believe him but she's letting it go. He wishes she would press him on it, get him to blurt out how he feels when she's around but he quickly deletes that thought; he doesn't want her to hate him or run away. Because there is no way someone as beautiful and young as Rose Tyler could like the crazy physics professor who hasn't even talked to a girl-other than students and friends-for over a year.

"Well, it's your turn Mr. Smith" Rose replies before bringing her beer bottle to her lips.

"Turn?" John asks-still watching her lips as she sips her beer. It had been a good few hours at the bar and he had yet to stop watching her lips for more than a few minutes-being talked to was making his mission impossible.

"You haven't been listening to anything we've been saying have you!?" Amy scoffed. "Bloody spaceman" she muttered.

"We've been telling stories, and since Amy just called you spaceman I wanna know why" Rose replied.

"Oh, um…" John pulled on his ear nervously as everyone stopped talking to listen. "When I first started working at Gallifrey, Jack introduced me to the previous VP"

"River started working after you?" Rose asked.

"No, Donna Noble was the temporary VP" John added "She was working when I started but only for a few months before she went back to her travels"

"Travels?" Rose asked.

"Ya, she traveled all over the world. She always said she was looking for something but she never knew what it was till she found a guy named Lee McAvoy" Rose grinned at this and Amy made some joke about how every one of them is secretly looking for 'the one'.

"No, Amelia, we are all looking for someone who can-"

"Jack" John warned "Not in front of Rory" Amy and Rose burst into giggles as Rory frowned.

"Why not in front of me?" Rory pouted.

"You're the youngest, still a child inside" Clara pointed out with a soft smile. "Not like anyone is old enough to hear most of what Jack says anyways"

Through her laughter Amy managed to spit out"You'd have to be, like, 900 years old or something!"

Jack scoffed "Please, I'm hilarious!"

"Sure thing, Captain" Rose saluted with a drunken giggle.

"Clara's the youngest!" Rory protested. Jack leaned across the table and yanked Rory closer by the collar. Rory looked a bit terrified and John frowned. Was Jack going to kiss Rory? No….right? Amy raised an eyebrow in challenge at the men but Jack only smirked at Rory. Jack leaned closer and whispered something in the blonde's ear before settling back beside John. Rory was frozen for a few moments before slowly sinking back into his seat and cuddling closer to his ginger girlfriend.

"Still think you're old enough to handle Jack?" Amy asked suppressing a giggle-as were the rest of them, other than Clara who looked worried. Rory slowly shook his head and Amy giggled along with Rose.

"Jack, you should be censored!" Rory announced-finally breaking through his fog.

"In many cultures he would be" John said "Like on the home world of the Slitheen"

"The what?" Rose laughed.

"He's always like this when he drinks" Jack sighed.

"Like what?"

"Nothing!" Jack interrupted John before the tipsy man could speak "No more talking, okay Doc?"

"Don't call me that" the Doctor ground out.

"Like what?" Rose asked again.

"He-uh" Amy mumbled. They all love to embarrass the Doctor but they also don't want to ruin the already messy chance he has with Rose. When dealing with complex problems always go with the fun answer is Jack's reasoning and Amy loves to agree with Jack. "He creates his own imaginary world" The ginger giggled as Rose got a confused look on her face. Jack buried his face in his hands and Rory laughed along with Amy and Clara.

"The Slitheen were a family of Raxacoricofallapatorian criminals." The Doctor explained without even stumbling over the overly complex word in his drunken state.

"Raxa-what?" Rose giggled "Doctor, you've lost your mind"

"Have not!" he grinned goofily "My sweet Wolf, I have seen them and so have you. We saved the world from them and Jack helped to!"

"Aw, I'm part of his drunken fantasies" Jack said happily "Guess we're even"

"Ruined the moment" Amy rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Did he call me his Wolf?" Rose asked raising her eyebrow curiously.

"He calls me the girl who waited" Amy shrugged "Never got a clear answer for why"

"I'm the last centurion" Rory grinned "Imagine me in Roman soldier wear"

"I already have" Amy smirked and leaned closer to her fiancé with a flirtatious glint in her eyes. Rory blushed and brushed his nose against hers.

"You two are adorable" Rose commented sweetly.

"Aren't they" Jack grinned cheekily "Can't wait till they take me up on my offer, we could all be adorable together"

"Jack" Rory warned. The Doctor seemed to be off in his own world, watching the table and staring into space, so the group decided it would be okay just to leave him out of the conversation for now.

"I'm his impossible girl" Clara said softly "I think he believes me to be a figment of his imagination"

"Maybe he just thinks you're impossibly cute" Rose said with a smile.

"Oh" Clara blushed a deep pink and spun her hair around her finger nervously. "Thank you…"

"You are so adorably awkward" Rose giggled along with Amy.

"Um…Thank you?" Clara said turning an even deeper pink.

"It's a good thing, Honey" Jack said smiling at the small brunette.

"What does he call you, Jack?" Rose asked.

"The one other time I was in his drunken daze, he called me the Face of Boe"

"Cool" Rose giggled "Sounds like a god or something"

"Maybe I am a god" Jack grinned.

"The god of innuendo!" Rory laughed along with everyone at the table, including Jack.

"We should get pizza" the Doctor announced as the laughing died down.

"A pizza?" Amy asked "We're all drunk!"

"We can take the TARDIS, she drives herself" John pushed Jack out of the booth and then stepped over him and stumbled a few feet to the door.

"Wait up, Doc!" Jack laughed and chased after the drunken teacher, the rest of the group paying the waitress and following the guys. Jack managed to convince John to get into a cab as they waited for the others. The group did fit in the cab but barely, Amy sitting on Rory and Clara sitting on Jack.

"Man Clara, you're tiny!" Jack laughed Clara giggled sweetly and her cheeks became a light pink color that added to the innocent girl image Clara had. She wasn't tiny but she was shorter and younger than everyone else in the group and teacher at the school. She has big brown eyes and wavy brown hair, little skirts and tights, little sweaters and round cheeks with full lips; she's a very pretty girl and fairly small.

"Wolf!" the Doctor called "You're golden and…" he trailed off as the cab turned sharply and Jack's shoulder bumped his. "JAAAAACK!" he whined.

"Ya, Doc?" Jack said calmly.

"It's Doctor" he corrected "Why did you kiss me?" he chuckled "It was funny"

"Do you want me to kiss you?" Jack asked happily. Whenever the Doctor gets drunk he always comes up with crazy stories but this is one of the rare times where Jack is involved and he isn't going to stop smiling for awhile. And now that kissing is involved-something he has always wanted to do with the Doc-things can only get better.

"I didn't ask you to, you just did. You kissed Rose to, which I didn't like," John glared at Jack for a moment before his drunken happiness took back over "We were fighting and you were saying goodbye"

"Goodbyes are stupid, Doc, kissing is fun"

"You do like kissing" John laughed "You are a good kisser Jack" he mumbled as his eyes drifted closed.

"Maybe we can do it again" Jack smirked.

"Love to, Jack" John mumbled sleepily.

"I'll hold you to that, Johnny" Jack replied with a soft chuckle.

"I cannot wait for that" Rose grinned. The rest of the cab ride was short and filled with the smell of alcohol and laughter. When they finally got to Jack's place, they all helped to carry John inside and toss him on the couch.

Jack's flat is big. He has a kitchen that allows all of them to be busy in it without bumping too much, a bathroom with a tub for three, a bedroom that allows his huge bed and a wide window that looks over the city. His living room has a big couch that can fit most of them and a huge TV that is currently turned to Friends-because what else do you watch at 3am? John is napping on the couch as Rose runs her fingers through his hair absentmindedly. Clara went into Jack's room with Amy to change into something more comfortable while Jack and Rory decided on what pizza to order.

"Olives?" Jack asked.

"Of course" Rory agreed.

"We're back" Amy announced as her and Clara walked back into the living room in Jack's t-shirts-Amy in Jack's boxers (which made Rory a bit jealous…only a bit) and Clara in a pair of plaid pajama pants.

"Come watch friends with me!" Rose said happily. Clara plopped onto the couch beside Rose and snuggled against her side. "Cold?"

"Ya" Clara nodded. Rose smiled and put her arm around the small brunette. Clara made a happy noise just as Amy sat on the couch beside Clara and leaned her ginger head against her shoulder.

"Want a blanket?" Jack asked from the kitchen.

"Yes!" Clara called. Jack chuckled and went in search of a blanket-which he found in his closet. He draped the large blue blanket over the girls and they all smiled and thanked him while snuggling deeper into the blanket.

"Better?" Rory asked as he handed Jack the phone and dropped himself on the floor between Amy's legs. Amelia's hands went straight for the blonde's hair and ran her fingers through it. Rory made a pleased noise in the back of his throat and Jack chuckled.

"Is this the couch of love birds?" Jack asked "Cause I would like to join" he had hung up the phone and was now standing beside John.

"Love birds?" Clara mumbled from deep in the blankets.

"Amy and Rory look very love-y dove-y, and then we have Rose and Johnny" Jack grinned cheekily as Rose's eyes went wide.

"What? He's asleep" she said defensively.

"But you're fingers are running through his hair, just like Amy and Rory" Jack chuckled "I'm sure he wouldn't mind at all" Rose pulled her hand away slowly and tucked it under the blanket. Jack rolled his eyes and collapsed onto the couch with his head on Amy's thigh. "Friends?" Jack asked

"It's good, especially at 3am" Rose said "When's the pizza coming?"

"Twenty minutes" Jack said.

"To long" she groaned and her head fell back against the couch.

"But it'll be worth it" Jack sing song-ed.

"Better be" Amy replied in a drunken mumble.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4.

 

John’s eyes fluttered open when the sound of pots and pans hit his ear drums. He can faintly hear groggy voices and laughter but he can’t tell who it is or where he is. He sits up slowly as the smell of eggs and bacon hit his noise. John groans and holds a hand to his forehead.

“Look, he decided to get up” he hears Amy announce happily. He hears more laughter and looks over to see Amy and Jack in the kitchen with Rory. They are smiling and dancing as they cook and now he can hear the soft pop music that Amy must have picked out. He hears a soft mumble and looks over to see Rose sleeping with a smile on her face.

Her hair is fanning around her head in a golden halo and her pinks lips are curved into a gentle smile that is just begging to be kissed. Her makeup must have been washed off and John can only think of how beautiful she looks with clear skin. She is so beautiful that he almost didn’t notice the small form with brunette hair lying mostly on top of his Rose. He half smiles before pulling himself off the couch and stumbling into the kitchen.

“What the hell happened last night?” John asks as he leans on the counter in the kitchen. “And why is Clara sleeping on top of Rose?”

“They were really cuddly last night” Amy giggles “You were asleep the second we got in the cab though”

“Oh” John sighs

“Rose was running her fingers through your hair” Jack announces as he piles some fresh cooked bacon onto a plate and passes it to Rory.

“Really?” John grinned and ran his own fingers through his bed head crazy hair.

“Yep” Jack said plopping eggs onto another plate and passing it to Amy. Amy and Rory dropped the plates onto the table beside a thing of coffee.

“I’m going to be sick” John groaned

“I stole these from your house” Jack said tossing a bottle of pills to John. The bottle was a little plastic one for prescriptions with a few purple pills inside.

“You stole my hangover pills?” John frowned “I made these”

“But you only get drunk with me” Jack grinned and handed his best friend a glass of water.

“Thanks” John mumbled before taking one of the purple pills.

“Wanna go wake up the girls?” Amy asks.

“No!” Jack grabs John as he turns around. “We need to prepare you”

“What?” John and Amy ask. Rory has decided that food is much more important and has begun serving food for himself and Amy. Amy grins at her boyfriend and sits beside him.

“You like the blonde and blondey likes you, I wanna help” Jack sits opposite Amy and John reluctantly takes the seat beside his friend.  
“I don’t need help” even John knew that was a lie. He is horrible with feelings and girls. Jack, on the other hand, is a genius with girls and guys. Of course John would never admit that he thinks Jack is a genius, guy’s ego is big enough.

“You called her your sweet Wolf” Jack said, failing to hide his grin.

“Maybe a small bit of help” John admitted softly

“Okay, don’t tell her about the crazy world of aliens you made up, ‘cause she will ask” Jack said

“Oh no….” John chuckled sadly and buried his face in his hands. “You let me drink too much!”

“Hey, we all drank too much” Amy said, pouring a puddle of syrup onto her pancakes and bacon.

“Why would you do that?” Jack asked with a horrified expression directed at Amelia’s food.

“What?” Amy asked, digging her fork into her pancakes.

“How can you taste anything with that much syrup on it?”

“I can taste the syrup”

Jack didn’t even bother to respond, just gave her a disgusted face and looked back to John.

“It just makes the food as sweet as her” Rory said with a puppy dog look aimed at his fiancé.

“Idiot” Amy said but kissed his cheek anyway, leaving a bit of syrup behind. The couple both continued eating, Jack plucking a piece of bacon from the plate and munching it.

“I’m not going to pretend to be someone else” John announced, moving his food around on his plate.

“Of course not!” Jack grinned “Just don’t be stupid is all”

“Right” John nodded with a slight smile.

“And nobody thought to wake us up?” Rose asked, wondering into the dining room with a yawing Clara under her arm.

“You two just looked so cute, we couldn’t wake you” Jack informed them with a grin. Rose rolled her eyes and led Clara to the empty chairs at the other end of the table beside Rory and John-across from each other.

“Everything smells so yummy!” Clara said, her voice still thick with sleep. She smiled softly as Amy served her some food and slid the plate in front of her. Clara wasn’t even paying attention to anyone anymore, just pilling bite after bite into her mouth. 

“Someone’s hungry” Jack chuckled but Clara made no effort to respond, not even glancing away from her meal.

“What’s so interesting that you guys couldn’t stop talking about to wake us up?” Rose asked, picking a strip of bacon of the plate.

“Nothing!” John said, wide eyed and blushing

“Sounds like something to me, but okay” Rose shrugged and took a bite of her breakfast.

“Why didn’t you invite River before she left?” Amy asked.

“She didn’t want to, would rather pack” Jack grumbled

“Aw, jealous of her suitcase?” Amy giggled

“No, just…quiet Amelia” Jack mumbled half heartedly before shoving away from the table. “I have to get to the school”

“It’s Saturday!” Amy replied as Jack grabbed his coat.

“So?”

“You’re going to River’s, aren’t you?” Rose grinned, tongue poking out from between her teeth

“Lock up when you leave!” Jack called as the door closed behind him.

“Wanna go see what’s hidden in Jack’s closet?” Amy asked her fiancé.

Rory’s eyes bulged out of his head and his cheeks flushed a deep pink. He almost choked on his food before gulping down water like a man lost in the desert. He shoved his plate to the middle of the table and glared at the ginger woman. “No”

“Why?”

“He’s Jack bloody Harkness!” Rory cried “who knows what could be back there!?”

“You sound terrified” Amy rolled her eyes “What do you expect to find? A giant head in a jar?” she pushed away from the table and scoffed when the blonde nodded like a scared child.

“Rose?” Amy asked

“No thanks” Rose half laughed

“Suit yourselfs” Amy sighed before wondering down the hall.

“And they never saw her again” John mumbled, Rose giggled and Rose looked terrified at the thought.

“Why are you so scared of Jack?” Rose asked

“He set himself on fire to get some guys number, who knows what he would do to keep one around” Rory shuddered “He could have a sex robot”

Rose huffed out a laugh and almost knocked a plate off the table. “Yes, Jack is hiding a sex robot when he has River”

“Well, he hasn’t always had River” Rory countered

“Ya, but he is gorgeous, he could have anyone!” Rose added. John’s jaw twitched at Rose’s description of his friend but made no comment.

“Not Amy” Rory frowned

“Okay, ya, certainly not Amy, but anyone else” Rose smiled warmly. “Should we go or, watch a movie or something?” 

“Let’s go to that cute book slash coffee place on third” Amy said, walking into the room again

“Anything worth mentioning?” Rose asked

“Nothing I didn’t already knew he had” Amy sighed “Sucks having a friends who is so open about himself that I can’t find anything interesting in his room”

“I love that place on third” Rory chimed in

“Great, get cleaned up and let’s go”  
John decided to take a shower so Amy took the others to the place on third. He said he would catch up later.

\--

The place on third was called ‘Torchwood’ and was a tiny old book store with a not very popular coffee shop inside. The outside was plain and average, like it was trying too hard to blend into a normal town; but the inside was beautiful. Bookshelves lined every wall and were so high that there were a few ladders that rolled along the shelves. Posters about books, movies and a few that should not be hung in public were hanging on what little wall space they had left. Bean bags and a worn down couch were stuffed around the area in front of the shelves and beside the coffee stained counter.

The counter was stained with coffee cup rings and crushed beans, an old cloth used to clean it lying on the end. A few dirty bar stools sat in front of the counter and a couple dishes sat in a pile waiting to be cleaned up and glinting dreamily in the dimly lit space. It wasn’t dim enough that someone would have trouble reading but enough to make it feel cozy and like a dorm room perhaps. The coffee machines and flavors and such were stacked on a splintering wooden shelf behind the counter, obviously used and probably in need of replacing. There was a door on the far wall behind the counter with the words ‘Employees only’ stamped across it in slanted black lettering. 

A young woman with straight dark brown hair and warm brown eyes smiled-a gap between her front teeth- as the group walked in. she introduced herself as Gwen Cooper, owner of the shop since Jack (Who knew he worked here? long story according to Amy) left. The back door swung open and a man in a leather jacket and faded jeans swaggered in with a grin. He was introduced as Owen Harper, not to be taken seriously ever as Gwen said. Gwen explained that Tosh was another young woman who worked with them but was on leave due to illness. The last in the group of coworkers was a man named Ianto Jones, coffee extraordinaire and ex-lover of one Jack Harkness.

Gwen made Amy a latte of some sort before the ginger was led into the depth of the store by Rory. Rose took a seat on one of the beaten old bar stools and decided to get to know these people and find out why Jack left.

“Owen!” Gwen barked as the man shot whipped cream into his mouth. He glared at her and rolled his eyes but placed the can back on the shelf.

“If Jack’s a teacher why’d he work here?” Rose asked, Ianto hopping around the small area to make something Rose didn’t even order. They all say he can just know what someone will love without having to hear them speak, it’s a gift.

“He wasn’t always a teacher, why do you think he teaches sex ed instead of science of something?” Gwen said, leaning against the counter.

“I thought it was because he wanted a class where it was okay to make innuendos until he’s blue in the face” Rose smiled, tongue between her teeth, Owen snickered.

“That’s one of the reasons” the man said before Gwen glared at him and he vanished in the back.

“What’s the other reason?”

“Why don’t you ask Jack?” Gwen asked nervously

“Just tell her, you know you want to” Ianto said as he poured something light brown and frothy into a cup before dropping behind the counter for something.

Gwen sighed and bit her lip guiltily before nodding. “Okay, Jack and Ianto open this place like eight years ago” Gwen explained. “They were young and in love and Jack loved books and Ianto loves coffee, perfect idea until River Song stumbled into Jack’s life along with his need for adventure”

“Adventure?” Jack has told many stories over the short time Rose has known him, but he never actually mentioned where they took place, guess traveling around all the time never crossed her mind.

“Jack had never lived in one place for more than a few months before he met Ianto” Gwen continued “And Ianto knew that Jack wasn’t going to be able to stay here long either, he thought the shop would convince Jack to stay but it didn’t work”

“And River?”

“She was an archeologist, who traveled the world on a monthly basis, plus she was smoking hot and witty; how could Jack say no?” Gwen sighed and Rose heard Ianto grumble something under his breath. 

“Jack tried to stay with Ianto because he did truly love him but in the end Ianto let him go, let the crazy man travel and possibly fall for someone else”

“Oh” Rose picked at her nails awkwardly.

“He came back of course, River does live here after all” Gwen went on “and Jack got a quick degree in sex ed so he could teach for only half the year and travel with River the rest.”

Rose wasn’t sure how to respond to that story. On one hand, a man’s heart was broken because Jack couldn’t keep still but on the other hand, River and Jack are so perfect together. River loves adventure and always has a witty remark up her sleeve, they can be flirty or so sweet you feel sick, it’s like you look at them and their lives and think that maybe true love does exist. But how can you say that in front of the man who was left behind?

“its okay, Rose,” Ianto said with a smile. “Been over Jack for awhile now” he placed a mug in front of her and stepped back to see her response. Rose smiled warmly at the well dressed man before bringing the drink to her lips. It was warm and creamy, sliding smoothly down her throat and leaving behind a gentle taste of raspberry and that strong taste of Columbian beans.

“Holy shit, Ianto!” Rose grinned “You could make a fortune for predicting and making things like this!”

The man blushed and said something about not needing the money before taking the dished into the back. Rose sipped her drink happily as Gwen talked about her husband, Rhys, and there new born son.

“You seem to have the perfect little life, Gwen” Rose smiled, her hands wrapped around the warm mug and a content smile on her lips.

“You could say that, it’s a sweet little thing” Gwen smiled shyly before frowning as Owen stumbled out the door.

“Fuck off!” he barked backwards, obviously meant for Ianto.

“What now?” Gwen sighed

“He was sleeping again!” Ianto called over the sound of running water.

“Owen, go make sure the books are neat” Gwen shooed him away.

“Can’t I leave?” he whined but obeyed the woman in charge and trudged into the sea of books.

Rose could hear Amy giggling and the tumbling of people falling over, it made her smile. She already had such amazing friends and she already loves them so much even if she has only known them for a matter of days. Sometimes people just click, maybe it’s because they need something to hang onto, maybe it’s because the universe just wants it that way, Rose doesn’t really know or care why, and she just wants it to stay this way. She had never had too many friends growing up in a tiny flat with her mom. She had Mickey but things got complicated when he fell in love with her and she ran away with her friend instead. His name was Chris and they were closer than normal friends but nothing ever happened, and then he died. That’s why Rose went back to school and became a teacher, she needed a new start or she would go crazy with grief.

“Know you what, Rose?” Gwen spoke again “I think you’re going to be one of us for a long time” the two grinned at each other before Gwen squeezed her hand and vanished in the back room. Rose smiled at her coffee before sipping it, warmth spreading through her body and making her feel happier then she has in a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry!!!! I was trying to write but writers block is bitch. anyway this chapter is pretty short but i had to post it because i haven't updated in over two months and that seemed way too long. 
> 
> But thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, bookmarked and whatnot. I love you all and i'm so happy you guys are enjoying this! :D

Chapter 5

Amy slumped into a purple beanbag chair that was hidden in the corner of the Mystery section-or where most of the mystery books were but this place is never in order. Rory didn’t notice and tripped over Amy and knocked his head against the nearest shelf.

“Shit” he mumbled and slumped to the floor beside Amy. The ginger pulled him close to her so they could both be on the purple seat and then pressed a kiss to his temple-leaving behind a bit of lip gloss.

“You okay?” she asked, although she was giggling softly.

“Ya, what are we going to read?” Rory asked, resting his head on Amy’s shoulder.

“A mystery?” she grinned.

“You always say that” Rory mumbled, taking Amy’s latte and placing it on the shelf behind them. Amy reached across Rory and pulled a small blue book out from the shelf Rory had hit his head on.

“Again?” Owen asked as he appeared from around the corner. “You always pick that one, Amelia” he leaned against one of the shorter shelves and smirked at the couple.

“It’s my favorite” Amy said “If you don’t wanna listen then go away”

“I’ll listen, but not the whole thing this time” Rory answered, slipping his arm around Amy’s waist like he always does around Owen.

“Fine, just the first chapter, and maybe the second” Amy agreed as she opened the old leather cover. There was nothing on the book, just blue leather with rectangles carved in the front. John always said it looked like how he had imagined the TARDIS-just simpler and without the handles and things.

“Why do you like that old thing so much anyway?” Owen asked, sitting down in front of them with his back to the shelf he had been leaning on. He crossed his legs and looked at Amy’s hands and the blue book.

“I don’t know, it’s just...” Amy shrugged “There is just something about it”

“Ya…” Owen sighed “Go ahead”

\--

“Why didn’t Clara come?” Gwen asked Rose. The blonde looked up from the counter and shrugged.

“She said something about her family and soufflés” 

“Sounds like her” Gwen smiled softly before taking Rose’s empty cup and giving it to Ianto in the back. And that’s when John stumbled in.  
His normally styled hair was flat and still wet from his shower. His eyes were wide and his lip was busted with blood dripping from it. He looked dazed and Rose was immediately by his side.

“What happened?” she asked, slipping her arm around his slender waist and helping him to a seat. Gwen handed him a glass of water and look at him with the worried eyes of a mother-Rose briefly wondered if Amy and Gwen ever fought over whose turn it was to take care of their group’s problems, since they seem to be the mothers of these strange people.

“John?” Rose placed a comforting hand on his knee as she sat beside him. He seemed startled out of his daze before smiling briefly at her.

“I was walking here when someone pushed me into a wall” he explained

“Why?”

“I don’t know but he didn’t say anything of take anything, he just pushed me into the wall and then tripped me before walking away”

“Oh” Gwen mumbled “Well, I’m going to find a tissue or something for your lip” and she was gone.

“You okay now?” Rose asked softly

“Ya” he said, squeezing the girl’s hand before blushing and looking around. “Where are the others?”

“In the labyrinth of books” Rose said with a smile.

“Well, I hope they don’t find any Goblins”

“What?”

“Goblins…the movie The Labyrinth…nothing?”

“Never seen it” Rose admitted

“What!?” John gasped “It’s amazing though!”

“Well, do you own it?”

“Of course” he smiled proudly.

“Then maybe we should watch it together sometime” Rose smiled shyly and John’s brain froze. It wasn’t a date, John told himself. Just two friends going to watch a movie together…right?

“Sure” he squeaked

“Does it hurt?” Rose asked, sudden concern in her voice.

“What?”

“You lip” she clarified. 

“A little, nothing I can’t handle”

“Where is Gwen?”

“Here!” Gwen called tossing Rose a cloth before slamming the back room with Owen trailing behind her. Ianto was pushed from the room several seconds later with a frown.

“What was that about?” Rose asked

“I don’t bother asking why they fight so much anymore” Ianto shrugged and hurried off into the books.

“Well” Rose giggled. John just sat silently as Rose dipped the corner of the cloth into his glass of water before bringing it to his lip. She gently wiped the blood from his mouth and then pulled the cloth away.

“All better” she said softly

“Much” he agreed, eyes glued to her gorgeous face. It was like time froze the second his eyes met hers, like sparks of electricity were flowing between them. John could see the whole universe in her beautiful golden brown eyes. But nothing happened and they both blushed and looked away when Amy’s voice came calling for them.

“Better go see what she wants” Rose mumbled before leaving the cloth on the counter and rushing but into the books.   
John sat frozen for a few seconds until Owen barged back into the room and then out of the shop.

“Owen!” Gwen yelled, chasing after the man. Man this place is crazy.

John stared after them before hopping off his stool and following after Rose. He found her in Rory’s lap with his fingers in her hair. Jealousy and confusion spiked in him before he noticed Amy kissing his shoulder and neck and that Rory was braiding Rose’s hair.

“John!” Amy grinned, moving away from her fiancé. “Come sit with us”

John sat beside Amy only to be pulled in front of her and have her run her fingers through his wet hair. He pulled away but Amy pulled him back so he gave up and relaxed against her. Her fingers actually felt pretty nice, not as nice as Rose’s would he imagined, but still comforting.

“ You always leave your hair like this after you wash it and it looks ridiculous” Amy went on “You style it like a hedgehog, which for some reason Rose loves and Clara, but then you don’t do anything when it’s wet”

“What would I do when it’s wet?” he asked as his mind raced with that fact that Rose likes his hair.

“You could have at least blow dried it or something” Amy complained like a mother to her son.

“Maybe I would have-“ 

“No you wouldn’t”

“If you hadn’t kept texting me to hurry up” he finished with a frown.

“Relax, grumpy” Rose giggled “Did you teach Rory how to braid?” 

“No, his mom did” Amy answered “But he braids my hair a lot because he is just great at it…maybe it’s because he has such long fingers” she grinned slyly at her fiancé before returning to John’s hair. She wasn’t actually doing anything to his hair, just running her fingers through it but he seemed pretty blissed out about it so Rose assumed it was to calm him down.

“How do you do your hair, Doctor?” Rose asked. The teacher’s eyes slipped open and he looked over at Rose.

“Uh, well…it takes awhile” he muttered

“Awhile?” Amy scoffed “More like a bloody hour and a half!”

“Seriously!?” Rose grinned in disbelieve

“Seriously, and even then he still messes with it in the car” Amy shakes her head “He spends all day running his fingers through it anyway, don’t know why he thinks it needs to stick up so much”

“I like my hair” The Doctor mumbles

“I like your hair too, Doctor” Rose blushed.

“All done!” Rory announced before John could spend any more time on Rose loving his hair…again. Rose leaned away from Rory and brushed her hands over the intricate braids that were now woven through her blonde hair. it looked lovely on her and John’s eyes continued to trace over each braid and how they opened up her face, kept her hair from hiding her gorgeous eyes.

“You look beautiful” John breathed out. Rose grinned at him and John suddenly realized what he said. “You know, for a human” he cast his eyes to the floor so he missed the amused and slightly disappointed looked that crossed Rose’s face.

“You are bloody human too” Amy rolled her eyes

“Am not!” John pulled away from Amy so he could face her. He looked deeply offended by her comment.

“Then what are you, Doctor?” Rose asked, leaning against Rory.

“A Time Lord” He grinned

“And that is?” she continued

“A story for another time!” Amy interrupted. She wanted him to have a chance and spilling all his crazy make believe worlds isn’t going to help-at least not this early. Amy jumped up and grabbed Rose, pulling her up too. “More coffee?” Amy pulled Rose away-leaving her coffee untouched on the shelf.

“That was abrupt” Rory frowned at the retreating girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise to keep writing but school is starting next week so it will be a challenge. anyway love you all and have a wonderful however long until i speak to you all again!


	6. Chapter 6.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might have gone a bit crazy with adding side characters for John's students (sorry) so be prepared for Supernatural, Doctor Who and Psych characters (You don't have to have seen any of these shows-beside Doctor who obviously-to understand what is happening). they might be a little ooc since they are high school students and obviously in an AU.

Chapter 6

Rose sat criss-cross-applesauce on her bed, golden hair up in a messy ponytail. She was looking through an old photo album, her eyes roaming over each picture with a gentle look. The young woman sighed and watched as a tear splashed onto the picture of a ginger haired man whose smile sparkled as he grinned at the blonde haired woman beside him, baby in her arms.

\---

John was not excited to be back at school the next morning but he was overjoyed when he heard that River had discovered a strange artifact on her vacation. Jack had told him after getting an email with his curly haired girlfriend and her odd box with hieroglyphics on it. Jack of course observed the box and River before sending an email back and then forwarding the picture to the other teachers.

River looked beautiful as always, her honey colored hair shining in the desert sun. Her eyes sparkling and her smile wide and bright. The box was sitting in her lap, the edges smashed and cracked. The box itself is a dark grey with carvings of strange symbols not yet deciphered and dirt caked into the crevices. It was a gorgeous picture and John was certain that Jack would print it and keep it in his wallet or maybe frame it for his apartment. Of course Jack would never admit to doing something so domestic, John decided to just keep quiet about it and hope Jack does it anyway.

“Have you seen Rose?” John asked his best friend later that day. It was around lunch and John needed to see her gorgeous smile if he was going to survive the rest of the day and his class with Reinette.

“She called in sick, her sub is super hot though” Jack grinned “He used to be in the navy”

“Sick?” John felt a flare of worry in his chest and tried to stamp it down. Rose is fine, probably just a cold or something, definitely not dying. He should call and check though.

“Ya, she’s sick” Jack said, he still had the daydream look in his eyes since the sub was mentioned.

“Ya, um, I should call her” John mumbled

“No, come on, Doc, she’s fine” Jack said, snapping away from whatever perverted daydream John would be forced to listen to later.

“Why not?” 

“If you were sick would you want to get a call from you? Sleep sounds better in my opinion” Jack answered “Besides, if you call her then she might say not to stop by and giver her soup after school” he grinned toothily and John felt his stomach flip. He couldn’t just go to her flat without asking, how rude would that be? But she is sick, and soup is good for sick people and maybe tea also, ya she would love that. She has mentioned her love of tea and he heard her talking to Amy about her mum making her soup when she was little and got sick-that was weeks ago. She wouldn’t mind, Jack is right.

“Ya, okay”

“Great!” Jack beamed “Go to this address,” Jack continued, shoving a small slip of paper into John’s hands. “After school and pick up an order in my name, then go to the second address on the paper-Rose lives there” and Jack was gone in a flurry of smiles and blue fabric. John stood staring at the paper until the bell rang and he was forced to run down the halls or his students would be annoyed with him for being late again.

He flung open the door with a big grin and flushed cheeks. He was only a few minutes late but it appeared that all of his students were present and turned to stare at him.

“Late again, Mr. Smith” a young girl, Martha Jones, said. She is very brilliant and John would often end up in conversations or debates with her during the week.

“Yes, sorry, I was talking to Jack-I mean Mr. Harkness” John said, walking to the board and writing down the pages to turn to in the text books.

“We call him Jack” A boy in the back said- Andy? Whatever the name he never seemed to know what was happening. He always smelled of weed and drugs but John never called him on it-didn’t want to be the teacher that busted the kid for smoking a spliff here or there; He, after all, was smoking in high school because of his friends influence.

“Hmm” John rolled his eyes at the board; of course Jack would be the teacher who was called by his first name. The most annoying part was that John didn’t know that.

“What was he telling you? He seemed awfully excited when he texted Mrs. Pond” Martha spoke again. How did she know about Jack texting Amy? Another question for another time.

“Mrs. Tyler?” A boy piped up-Shawn Spencer and hyper observant. He notices everything and he tends to tick the teachers off and impress most of the class in the process. John often found him interesting.

“What, no…what?” John stuttered out and dropped the piece of chalk onto the floor.

“It’s pretty obvious that you fancy her, it’s only logical that Jack would want to help with that” Shawn’s friend, Gus, continued.

“Ya, Gus is right” Shawn smiled at his friend “You wanna shag her and Jack loves shagging so he wants to help”

“Shawn!” Juliette O’Hara scolded as her cheeks turned deep pink-along with many of the other students.

“Yes, Jules?” Shawn waggled his eyebrows “You wanna shag him too?”

Many students laughed but Martha Jones kept on with the original topic. 

“Are you gonna ask her out?” she asked eagerly “She fancies you too, Mr. Smith”

John felt his heart break from his chest and kill him in the process because there was no way Martha Jones was talking the truth. Rose Tyler-most gorgeous and brilliant and caring person in the entire world-fancy him? Not going to happen. It just can’t be true…right?

“A blind person could tell you that” Shawn chuckled.

“Take her someplace simple, she seems like a home cooked meal type a girl” Gus said “You can cook right?”

“Well…” John mumbled, leaning forward on his desk and the assignment forgotten.

“You have to know how to cook something!” Gus gasped 

“I’ve never needed to”

“You’re hopeless” Gus thumped his head against the desk and sighed.

“No he’s not!” Martha countered “he just needs some help”

“From you? You’ve never even been on a date” Reinette told her.

Martha looked hurt for a moment before schooling her features and looking back to John. She smiled gently and sighed.

“Just be yourself, but be confident”

“Confident, right” John repeated.

Reinette looked disgusted with everything and John was deeply worried of what she would say or do next. But she simply pulled out her strawberry pink phone and texted at crazy speeds, her long nails clicking on the keypad. John should have taken it away from her but her nails looked dangerous and he really liked his face.

“And tell her she looks nice, girls like compliments” Shawn said.

“But don’t be too forward about it, be, you know, cool” Dean-an older boy who TAed for the class said. He was a senior and his little brother-Sam- was in the class and Dean himself was in the class a year or two ago.

“Right” John said

“Right, Cause you’re cool” Sam said sarcastically. "Jerk"

“Cooler then you” Dean mumbled "Bitch"

“Just, pull out your books” John said awkwardly.

\--

Her flat was nice, was John’s first thought. The living room had a good sized couch and a nice tele; a bookshelf piled high with books was sitting near the wall and a table with a couple chairs was off to the side. The kitchen was clean-of not a bit small- and smelled like warm tea and honeysuckle. There was a door to a bathroom and a bed room down the hall. John handed the surprised blonde a container of soup he had picked up with Jack’s orders.

“Uh, thanks” her voice was thick, like she had been crying, or more likely a stuffy noise John mussed. She led him inside and left him in the living room to put the soup in the kitchen.

“It’s, uh, cozy” he mumbled nervously.

Rose laughed softly “Ya, it’s not the nicest place but it’s cheap and homey” she said coming back over.

“You feeling any better?” John asked, looking at her with worried eyes and resisting the urge to reach out and take her hands or touch her face.

“Ya, I’ll be at work tomorrow” She said, sniffling.

“Rose?” John looked at her closely. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks flushed, her voice was raw and she was obviously not sick-she was crying?

“Ya, John?” Rose asked, trying to smile.

“What happened?” he did reach out this time, brushing her fringe away from her shining eyes. She cracked-tears forming in her eyes and her voice wobbling.

“I shouldn’t be this upset-it was years ago…I just…” She collapsed against John, her arms wrapping around him and sobs wracking her body.

“Shh” he whispered, rubbing circles on her back and pulling her close. “It’s okay; I promise everything will be okay”

It took awhile before Rose calmed down enough for John to sit her on the couch. She leaned against him and he turned worried eyes on her again.  
“What happened, Rose?” he asked softly.

“My-” she sniffled “My dad died when I was a baby. Didn’t even know ‘em but I still get like this each time the anniversary of his death roles around or his birthday or my parents anniversary…I can’t help it”

“There’s nothing wrong with being sad” he said softly, wrapping his arm around her and resting his head on hers.

“Thank you, Doctor” she murmured, eyes slipping shut and lack of sleeping settling in her bones. “I always feel better around you”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SOOOOO SORRY!!! high school is an assbutt and i'm drowning slowly in it. anyway, i hope you don't hate me. I'll post the next chapter sooner (hopefully). i have plans and Rose/Doctor will be coming up in the next chapter hopefully, if not then soon.


	7. Chapter 7.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the nice reviews and favorites, Love you cuties!  I know adding more fandoms so suddenly was weird but I just love Psychonatural (Psych-Supernatural) crossovers and I couldn’t resist plus it was so much fun writing those guys together. Sorry the chapters are so short and the updates so far apart, High school is hell. Thanks for being patient with me!  
> Just to clarify those extra little students were from Psych and Supernatural and I’m so glad you guys loved me adding them! I wasn’t sure if that would work, gad it did though  Anyway, I’m not really sure about adding anymore but those ones weren’t planned either and teachers have lots of students so you never know who might pop up. Love to hear your guys’ ideas for some other characters you’d like to see   
> Anyway enough of me blabbering on…  
> HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! I hope you are all having a wonderful time <3

Chapter 7.

Rose woke up pressed against John, who was sleeping peacefully. He looked like the sweetest thing Rose could think of, curled up with her and smiling-hair even messier then before. 

She should feel awful, she always does after she cries-especially on that day-but she doesn’t. She doesn’t feel great but she is looking forward to teaching her classes and seeing her friends. She looked over at the curious man and knew why she felt this way, why she felt butterflies in her stomach and air beneath her feet-and it absolutely terrified her.  
Rose pulled away from John and rushed to her bedroom, tossed on new clothes and wrote him a note. He would be late and she felt guilty but having to talk to him when she felt this way was so much worse. So she left, leaving the sleeping Doctor on her couch.  
\--  
“You just left?” Amelia asked.

Her red hair was pulled up into a messy bun and her heeled shoes were tossed up on the table in the teacher lounge. She looked tired, maybe she had stayed up too late painting again-Rory had proudly told Rose about Amy’s artistic talents and she soon found out that Amelia more often than not will stay up past 4am to finish her work, sometime she doesn’t get to sleep at all. 

Rose groaned and let her head flop onto the table, blonde hair splaying around her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking back up at Amelia. She looked sad.  
“I didn’t see another way out.” She mumbled

“Out?” Amelia leaned forward, sympathy in her eyes. Rose wasn’t sure if that sympathy was for her or John though.

“Don’t you like being with John?” The red head continued, her feet falling to the floor with a clicking sound.

“Of course I do!” Rose quickly defended. 

“Then what’s the problem?” Amelia asked, resting her chin in her hand and frowning at her friend. Amelia really wanted Rose to like John, she was counting on it. John was really good looking, and smart, and creative, but he also trips over his own thoughts and his feet, he needs people to care for him. The Doctor shouldn’t be on his own.  
Rose could be good for him. She is gorgeous, brilliant, and even though she went through something that caused her to run away to here, she is strong. She is compassionate and kind, John needs people like her. They have amazing chemistry that even a blind person could see; Amelia just really wants this to work out. They all do.

“I-uh…it’s a long story.” Rose mumbled, cheeks burning and tears pricking her eyes. She shouldn’t be so affected by this still, yet here she is.

“Dinner, my place, tonight.” Amelia replied, smile pulling at her lips. “We can talk for hours without anyone, well maybe Rory, bothering us.”

“I don’t know, Amy.” Rose ran her finger nails across her jeans, cheap bubble gum pink polish chipping onto the blue denim. 

“It’s okay if you aren’t ready to tell me your story, you will eventually, but we can talk about anything else tonight if you want.” Amelia smiled, warm and gentle. Her lips were ruby red and Rose had the brief thought of kissing those lips. Not because she was sexually attracted to Amelia-although she is gorgeous-but because nobody had cared about her as much as the people here do. Amelia really cares about her and Rose didn’t know how to show her that she cares so much too. Maybe agreeing to dinner was a better idea then platonic kissing.

“Ya, okay, dinner.” Rose smiled, plump pink lips stretching across her face. Amy grinned and jumped up from her seat.

“Fantastic! You can follow me in your car after work. I’ll make pasta or something; don’t really know what food I have but wine is totally on the menu.” Amy winked before leaving the room, smile still in place and joy in her heart. 

Rose remained seated until the bell rang and then she hurried to class. She didn’t see John till lunch.  
\--  
He was sitting beside Jack, across from Rory. His hair was messy, rolled out of bed messy.  
Her fingers itched.  
His puppy dog eyes seemed dulled and lost, his smile no longer on his beautiful face and he wasn’t eating.  
Her heart burned.  
He was hurt, she hurt him, but she couldn’t fix it. Fixing it would mean explaining why. She isn’t ready for that, not yet.  
Sometimes she wished she could be emotionless, like The Doctor’s Cybermen. She got him to tell her about them last night, he was so excited to share what beautifully creative creatures formed inside his brain.  
~  
Rose was sitting close to him, close enough to feel his body heat and smell his shampoo. She wanted to drown in his scent, so fresh and unknown. Damn this is moving too fast, she can’t do this…but she wants to.  
John mentioned them, quickly with a blush on his cheeks and his words mumbled. Rose latched onto the unfamiliar word and questioned him happily.

“They…they’re like these robots made from us.” John began, chocolate eyes glued to his nervous hands. He was twisting his fingers around his shirt, smile curving his lips slightly.  
Rose’s heart was thudding, surprised that he couldn’t hear it. She should scoot away, just a bit. She didn’t move.

“From us?”

“Humans,” he clarified. “They were created to be better than us but they decided that there could be no more of us.” His eyes roamed up to hers as he talked, sparkling like twin dark stars waiting to explode and shower the atmosphere with their beautiful remains.

“They killed us?”

“Not exactly.” John smirked mischievously as he continued explaining his insane drunken dreams. “They believed us to be inferior, they took the only thing they needed from us. The only thing that could be useful without adding the silly human emotions. Our brains.”

“So they can’t feel emotions?” Rose asked, fingers digging into her thighs to keep from reaching out for him. 

“Nope.” He popped the ‘p’.

“Why wouldn’t they want to feel?”

John’s smile turned sad and his brown eyes locked with her hazel ones. Rose didn’t look away.

“Because it hurts.”  
~  
Ya, they hurt. Rose hurts. She wanted nothing more than to stay with him, wake him up and go to work together. Be with him. But every time she looks at him she sees him and what he had done to her. She can’t go through that again, she won’t survive another time.  
But did she even survive the first time? Is it really living if she ran away from everyone who loved her? Still runs away anytime someone gets too close?  
Ya, emotions fucking hurt.  
\--  
John was in his classroom, the students at lunch, and a few late homework assignments on his desk. His blue pen was in his hand and he knows he should get to grading; finish before lunch ends but he can’t make his brain move. It’s stuck on Rose Tyler and her sudden inability to be in the same room as him, she can’t even look at him.  
Did he do something to hurt her? Oh no, he would never forgive himself if he did something or said something that would cause Rose so much distress. He cares too much about her. He really should just ask, explain that he didn’t mean to fall asleep at her house last night. But then again she should have woken him up.

Why was she avoiding him? Emotions are confusing. Sometimes John wishes he was a cyberman-he wouldn’t have to deal with these feelings that bubble up in his chest and threaten to drown him each time she comes into the room with those compassionate hazel eyes and silky blonde hair. He knows he doesn’t stand a chance but last night, when she trusted him enough to let go and cry, he thought she trusted him and that maybe they had become friends. He could be her friend; he wanted to be her friend. More than actually but being her friend is more important than anything else right now; he needs her in his life.  
Maybe Amelia could help.  
\--

“Hey, sweetie.” Amelia grinned as she popped into Rory’s classroom. 

The walls were littered with cheesy history posters and the few good ones that Amy had picked out. His desk was in the right corner, farther from the door with all the student desks lined in front. His desk was neat-not like John’s-with a few pictures of him and Amelia and one with all of the teachers together. There was a new one, not framed but leaning against another; it was taken a few days ago, Amelia was pressing her cheek against Rose’s, both girl’s with goofy grins and the sun’s glare in their eyes and on their hair.

Amelia sat on the corner of his desk and smiled at the picture, suddenly worrying about how Rose was handling everything. Of course the nosey and curious side of her was wondering why Rose was scared of what was happening with John, what had happened to this sweet and brilliant young woman? Why was she so afraid? Amelia really wanted to know.

Rory leaned up from his desk and pressed a kiss to the corner of her red lips. He was back at his computer before Amy could deepen the kiss.

“Sorry, babe,” Rory started when he heard her huff. “I’m trying to input the grades but this stupid new site is so-” The blonde cut himself off with a strange frustrated noise.  
Amy smiled amusedly before hopping off the desk and standing behind her boyfriend. She rolled her eyes and placed her hand over his on the mouse, gently moving it to help him. Rory never was very good with computers; while Amy was pretty good with anything she set her mind to. Rory has always loved that about her.

“Just type it, ya…good job, Sweetie.” Amelia released his hand and hopped back onto the desk, this time next to him.

“How was P.E?” Rory asked, sliding away from his desk and standing up. He stepped in front of the ginger girl and smiled shyly. Amelia pulled him closer, her slender fingers running over his knuckles.

“It was okay; Cosima was distracting some kids with some science stuff while Helena popped all the volley balls. So you know, just like every seventh period.” She shrugged.

“Oh, sounds ruff.” He kissed her fingers and then her palm. His kisses were gentle and soothing; Amy felt her body turning to jelly just from this. He always had this almost toxic effect on her, like every time he touched her she was flying high as a kite. It was shockingly beautiful to her, adventurous just sitting beside him; she never had to think about running from this commitment because he never made her feel trapped. Rory was her adventure, the only one she could go on forever.

And it was terrifying and it was wonderful.

Amy parted her legs and pulled Rory to stand between them, slipping forward and nudging her nose against his. Her soft lips were mere hairs from his; his breath was warm and smelled like oranges.

“Someone could walk in.” Rory said softly, his lips barely touching hers as he spoke. He could almost taste the shitty coffee in the teachers’ lounge she always drank.

“We still have five minutes.” Amy replied just as softly. Her lipstick left a smear on his top lip, barely noticeable but she was very close.

“Amy…” Rory said, voice husky and restrained. She pushed her lips forward, pressing them against his. He tasted like rain and oranges; he tasted like warm mornings by the coffee shop with a cold cup of coffee and rain soaking through his shirt. He tasted like Amy’s life, her home, and everything that made her happy. He tasted like Rory Williams.

A loud and horribly awkward cough made the couple look to the door. They were caught going at it like fumbling teenagers the night of the big dance, glassy eyes, wondering hands, and bruised lips. The good thing is that they are adults and they were caught by their blushing friend, John Smith. Bad news is that John wasn’t alone; he was accompanied by their very loud and giggly friend, Jack Harkness.

“Look at you two! Still just as excited to get into each other’s pants as you were three years ago.” Jack grinned as he sauntered over and leaned on the desk near Amy.

“What happened to privacy, Harkness?” Amelia asked, elegant brow raised at the other teacher.

“We need your help.” Jack replied.

“Is this about Rose?” Amy asked, hopping off the desk. She took John’s hand and smiled softly at him. He nodded. “Sweetie, she likes you and that seems to be her problem. She’s scared that’s all.”

“Ya, course, no biggy.” He still felt tightly wound and like a six ton box was pressing on his head.

“Just relax, I’m having dinner with her-” “We don’t have anything in the house, Amy.” Rory said as she went on. “Tonight and I’ll try to understand better. Everything will be okay, she’s our friend and she’s hurting though so don’t press her too much.”

“Right, okay, uh, thanks, Amelia.” John smiled and turned to leave. “Hurting?”

“I’ll explain another time, or she will.”

The bell rang. 

“Damn…” Rory groaned.

“Out, out, let’s get a move on!” Jack shuffled everyone out just as student began coming into the class room.

“Jack?” Amy began as they walked down the halls to class. Jack cast his eyes on her and smiled, wide and charming as always. He was hiding something, Amy could see it written across his face like the first kid asleep at a high school party; only instead of crudely drawn dicks it’s the tense lies buried inside him.

“You didn’t come just to talk about Rose, did you?”

“Of course I did, and to see you my beautiful.” Jack winked and Amy sighed.

“It’s about River, isn’t it? Or Ianto?” Rory always said Amy had a sixth sense, the sense that something was wrong and usually what the problem was. Amy never really believe him until now,

“I’m fine, Amy.” Jack replied hotly before swiftly turning into his classroom, already full of students and that one kid who can’t keep his hands off the CPR dummies.

“Sure…fucking liar.” Amy rolled her eyes and hurried down the halls just as the second bell sounded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long and it's not that long either but like i've said before, high school is hell and i get writers block a fucking lot. But i felt the need to post this in time for the holidays so here it is.


	8. Chapter 8.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose opens up to Amy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY, I'M SO SORRY!! I suck at updating and I kinda let my motivation run away and it took me awhile to get up the energy to run after it. But caught it and here we are! Please don't hate me, i love you all so much for the comments and kudos, you guys really are helping me keep going with this. ^_^

“What about Mean Girls? A total classic.” Amy giggled as she flipped through the movie options on Netflix. Rose was curled up next to her on the couch, and a new bottle of wine sitting on the coffee table beside two glasses. Rory had finally agreed to go to Jack’s place and play some new game Jack had gotten that week, leaving Amy and Rose to their own girl time.

“Maybe later.” Rose mumbled. She was dressed in sweatpants and a loose t-shirt while Amy was in comfy pajama shorts and one of Rory’s shirts. They looked like teenage girls at a sleep over and Amy was overjoyed, she’d missed this since River was always gone and she wasn’t close to any other women at the school. 

They decided on watching all the superhero movies they could manage because, well, who doesn’t love superheroes. Plus, Amy has a thing for Iron Man. They had finished the bottle of wine and a third of another, two Iron Man movies, the Avengers, and the first Captain America when Rose started talking about something other than Steve Rogers’ biceps and Black Widow’s eyes.

“I was in a really, really, bad relationship.” Rose mumbled when Amy poured them more wine. She was pleasantly buzzed, more than actually, and so was Amy. Rose doesn’t tell this part of her history easily, very few people knew and she doesn’t live near or even talk to any of them like she used to. She moved here to get away from this part of her life; she always knew someone would ask though. Amy deserves to know, she is kind and encouraging and even though Rose has only been her friend for a month or so, she trusts her with all her heart. She trusts them all but Amy is her best friend. She hasn’t had a best friend since high school. 

“He hurt me, a lot. I was in and out of the hospital.” Rose went on shakily. It still hurts to talk about but she has to talk about it, she needs to feel free of this part of herself.

“Oh Rose.” Amy gasps gently.

“Ya I know, poor sweet Rose, first guy she ever loves and he beats her-” Rose stops and breathes out, tears dribbling down her cheeks.

“No, Rose, no.” Amy wraps her arms around Rose and kisses her temple. “I don’t pity you, I want to protect you. I love you and now I understand why you’re scared.” She whispers and Rose breathes out shakily.

“His name was Jimmy.” Rose continues and slowly pulls away from Amy. They stay close together and Rose grips Amy’s hand and Amy squeezes.  
“Jimmy Stone, coolest guy in school and I was head over heels. He never noticed me; you know how the story goes.” Rose almost laughed. “He was in a band and my friend Shareen got invited to one of his gigs so she invited me. That’s when he first noticed me, I think it was cause I dressed as revealing as I could even though it was fall.” Amy smiled briefly, a quick lift of her lips.

“I was nervous and scared and a virgin but somehow he convinced me to let him fuck me in the alley behind the bar. It was awful and gross and I regretted it but I loved him so I didn’t say anything. I let him do whatever he wanted even when we both knew I was uncomfortable.” Rose closed her eyes and shook her head. “It started out bad I should have known it would only get worse.”

“No, Rose, you couldn’t have known that.” Amy replied softly, squeezing her hand and pressing her forehead against Rose’s.

“It got so much worse, Amy.” Rose’s voice was being drowned by emotion.

“Rose…”

“It was a few months later, I got mad at him because he wanted to have sex and I…I wasn’t up to it. He started yelling and-and he hit me. It was just a slap and he apologized right after and promised it would never happen again. I was in high school and I was naive and I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe him so badly, so I did. I comforted him for hurting me! I let him fuck me, I cried.”

Rose felt a sob bubble in her chest and she pushed it away. She had to get through this; she had to finish the story before she broke down. Amy didn’t speak, she knew Rose had to do this too, she just provided support and an ear to listen. 

“Um, he got really jealous that I was still friends with my ex, Mickey, so I told him to get lost. He hated my friends and my mum so I cut them out. My entire life became about him and what he wanted. I felt so alone and numb and I knew I was depressed, I knew I wasn’t okay but I chose to ignore how I felt because I thoughts that what I had was what every girl wanted. I had Jimmy Stone, bad boy in a band who did drugs and looked really fit.”

“He convinced me to drop outta school next, told me I didn’t need my A levels because his band was gonna take off and he would support me. I believed him just like always. So I had no family, no friends and no A levels. I didn’t even have a job! I spent more than a year sitting around his shitty flat waiting for him to come home and give me a purpose. I-I was so lost.” Rose felt the tears streaming down her cheeks and she could hear the intense wobble in her voice but she pushed on. She wouldn’t look at Amy, wouldn’t face the sadness in those beautiful eyes.

“I had been with him for two years when I realized how wrong everything was. He was cheating on me, r-raping me, hurting me every chance he got and I kept forgiving him. I snuck out of the house when he was sleeping and went home to my mum. She helped me move on, took a few days for me to stop crying and almost going back to him, a few weeks to call the cops and a few months to leave the house. My mum saved my life but I was still scared every time a man looked at me, each date was a possibility for that to happen again. I’ve never been with another guy since Jimmy. He fucked up my entire life and I haven’t even seen him for over ten years.”

Rose collapsed against Amy as sobs racked her body, breathes labored and wet. Amy held her tight as she sobbed and shook, cold and scared and yet something inside of her knew everything was gonna be okay this time.   
\--  
Rose rolled over in the bed and faced Amy; the red haired girl was sound asleep. She was smiling and Rose reached out for her hand, linking their fingers and just finally being happy with where she is in her life. They had finished the Captain America movie cuddled close together without saying a word and then Amy tucked Rose into her and Rory’s bed. Amelia curled up behind Rose and started telling her stories about when her and Rory first met, how she met Jack and when John first met her and River. She told all these stories quietly and soothingly and Rose almost fell asleep when she was hit with all these thoughts and feelings about John.

The Doctor mattered so much to her, so much more then she wanted to admit. There is something that needs to happen, something that they need to start and Rose isn’t sure she’s ready…she doesn’t want to get hurt anymore. She’s tired of being the one who gets hurt, who everyone treats like a fragile doll because of her past. She wants to be strong, she wants to be brave and happy and able to finally move on. She wants to be like Amy and she wants something like she has with Rory.  
Amy mumbles something in her sleep and tosses her arm over Rose’s waist and Rose smiles and lets her eyes slip closed. Amelia Pond, her best friend, her rock. Rose lets exhaustion take over as the scent of Amy fill her nose and thoughts of The Doctor fill her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so i feel like this fic is leaning towards Rose/Amy and i would like to apologize for that. I mean i totally ship them but that isn't what this fic is suppose to be about so i'll try to rein that in and keep everything on track. anyway, thank you for not giving up on me you guys! don't forget to comment and leave me kudos so i know what you guys think. ^_^


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a look at what the guys did while Amy helped Rose deal with her past. John tries to understand love and the difference between loving someone and being in love with someone. Maybe taking everything in steps is best for both of them. But what happens when Rose needs to talk to him?
> 
> (Being inside John's head can be confusing so do forgive me if his thinking process gets a bit confusing too)

Rory slouched further down on Jack’s ridiculously comfortable couch, his feet kicking up onto the coffee table. His fingers flew across the game controller, his character sending Jack’s flying into a nearby wall. Jack growled lowly and leaned forward, elbows on his knees and hands stiff on the controls. He’d lost four times to Rory already.  
John refused to play, he just sat on the sofa beside Jack and commented on how unrealistic this fighting style was and how the characters’ costumes would never protect them against throwing knives and any other weapon they used. That’s all he’d talk about, well, that and Rose. John couldn’t stop worrying about why Rose seemed to shy away from him now, when they were becoming so close. Jack was much too engrossed in his game to give John’s worry much attention and Rory didn’t really know how to handle it so it was left swirling about John’s brain and occasionally floating out and hitting Rory’s eardrums and somehow missing Jack’s. He just really wanted to beat Rory.

“I really hope she’s okay.” John mumbled.

“Amy’ll take care of her.” Rory replied, eyes glued to the screen.

“But that’s the thing!” John cried. “I wanna be the one to take care of her! I wanna hold her while she cries and I wanna make her tea and soup and buy fruity smelling candles together! I want her to come to me when she needs someone and I want her to be mine just as much as I’m hers.” John felt worn out, worry and exhaustion crashing against him in a shocking wave.

“Woah, dude,” Rory breathed out as his character used a special move to smash Jack’s into the ground. Jack cursed loudly.

“You’re in love with her.” Rory finished.

“I-I” John didn’t commit; it was a fucking scary thing that didn’t end well for anyone he knew besides Rory and Amy. His parents weren’t around for him; Jack’s parents were split up before even John knew them; Jack was never gonna settle down; River was never gonna slap on a ring and say ‘I love you’ to anyone; and hell would freeze over before Clara put aside her career for love. “No, I don’t.” he grumbled miserably. Amy and Rory weren’t enough for this, not this.

“FOR FUCKS SAKE RORY HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS!?!” Jack shouted as Rory won again. The dark haired man flung his remote across the room and straight into an expensive looking vase that John remembered River picking out.

Rory burst into uncontrollable laughter as he rolled off the couch. His face was turning red and Jack was pouting with his sparkling eyes dimmed. Rory continued laughing like a child being tickled, his sides ached and tears were running down his face. John couldn’t help it, seeing Jack so fucking upset over a silly game had him tumbling over in laughter as well.

“Oh my god you guys are such dicks.” Jack laughed.

Rory relaxed and looked to John, both men lying beside each other on the floor. “Your love doesn’t have to imitate anyone else’s love, John.”

John felt his chest ache and his smile faded. Rory couldn’t read minds but somehow, in moments like these, he knew exactly what someone needed to hear. John wasn’t ready to fall in love, but who was? He wasn’t ready to admit that he’s in love with her but that doesn’t mean he can’t admit that it’s possible that he loves her. Possible for love to work out.  
He and Rose won’t fight in front of their child before they convince them to get a divorce like an eleven year old Jack had to do; and they won’t leave each other behind for the sake of an adventure like River does at every corner, because they could be the adventure. John doesn’t need to bury himself in work when he could be falling in love, he isn’t Clara. Everyone does love differently, and John can’t follow anyone down a path already taken. They will have to find their own way. 

He doesn’t understand the way his friends live sometimes but that doesn’t mean they aren’t happy. Clara has never complained of feeling alone, she has her sister and her friends and her job, she doesn’t need someone to hold her at night because she has everything she wants. River wants adventure and the adventure of love just isn’t enough for her wanderlust soul, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love Jack just as much as Mount Fuji. Jack doesn’t do relationships like some people do, he holds too tightly and let’s go too easily but it works for him, it’s simple and fun and exciting just like Jack.  
Maybe it’s time John found out how he fits into a relationship.

“Beer?” Jack asked. “We could get hammered and watch that reality show with the dolphin trainers and that guy with that really nice ass.” He cast them his charming smile before flouncing into the kitchen.

John pulled himself off the floor and smiled down at the fair haired man. Ya, love is complicated for everyone, but he sure is glad Amy and Rory figured it out. 

\--

We need 2 talk  
-Rose

Ok. Tomorrow, Lunch, Behind the bleachers.  
-Doctor

U make it sound like I need 2 buy weed from u  
-Rose

You’d text Harkness if you needed weed  
-Doctor

Of course, why do u think he’s on my speed dial ;)  
-Rose

I miss you  
-Doctor [Message saved in drafts]

I’ll see you tomorrow wolf. I hope you’re ok.  
-Doctor

C u 2morrow doctor  
-Rose

\--

John rushed to the bleachers as the lunch bell rang, nearly beating his class out the door. Rose needed to talk to him, bad or good he didn’t care. He missed her like a missing limb. He’d only known her for almost 2 months and she was already so intertwined in his life that the moment she pulled away he felt his heart jump out of his chest to chase after her. It’s crazy and nothing like he’s ever done before yet he runs to those bleachers with a grin on his lips and an emotion in his eyes that he hasn’t felt in a long time, because this is Rose. His wolf, the girl who stole his heart the moment she walked into the same room as him and smiled at him over the greasy pizza and Jack’s charming words. No running away, not this time, not even if he wanted to.

She was already waiting for him, lying in the fake grass used for sports, a look of concentration on her face and a phone in front of her eyes. Her fingers were clicking away at the phone but she dropped it into the grass as he sat beside her. He noticed the colourful game on the screen before she locked it and it faded to black.

“Doctor.” Rose greets happily. Something is different, she doesn’t look weighed down, she looks open and free. Amy really does know how to fix everything, even something John didn’t see.

“Rose Tyler!” He responds, saying her name in a way that only he ever could. The way that awakens butterflies in her stomach and sends electric sparks down her spine.

“No lunch?” She asks curiously. 

He frowns and thinks before he remembers his lunch sitting in his fridge at home. “Fraid not, Ms. Tyler.” He answers.

“Don’t worry, we can share.” She pulls a baby pink lunchbox from the other side of her and sits up. She pops the tin lid and grins as The Doctor’s eyes light up.

“A banana!” He laughs. “I was right, you are brilliant, Rose.” He plucks the yellow fruit from her lunchbox and smiles at the blush on the woman’s cheeks.

“Thought you’d like that.” She doesn’t meet his eyes and John’s smile drops. She’s happy, he can see that on her face just as plainly as the sun in the sky but she’s nervous and something John can’t place is bothering his wolf.

“Something wrong, Rose?” He asked tentatively. He placed the banana in the grass and reaches for her hand. She interlaces their fingers and he saw the tug of a smile on her hidden face, curtained behind her bleached blonde hair. 

“I don’t have a pleasant past, John,” She started. “And I can’t change this. However, I can decide to make the most of my future. To pick the people who I love and love me. People who won’t hurt me.” Her voice was strong yet quiet and John could feel his heart hammering away in his chest.

“What are you saying, Rose?”

“This isn’t high school Doctor, we don’t need to dance around what we both know is happening.”

Was she saying? No. yes! Wait… no. Yes?

“Rose…?”

Her eyes finally lifted to meet his own and she smiled shyly. “I like you, Doctor, and even though we still have a lot to learn about one another I wanna give this a shot.”

His face lit about like fucking Times Square and his eyes sparkled at her words. Rose Tyler wanted him? Rose Tyler, beautiful, brave, brilliant, amazing, impossible, Rose Tyler, wanted him. He didn’t have words to describe this moment, the feeling in his chest. He will mess up, they will get hurt and fall down, but that doesn’t mean love won’t find them. And maybe that’s all he really needed to admit to himself. Love doesn’t have to happen the second you meet the person, it can take forever and a day to wash over you but that doesn’t mean it won’t last. It doesn’t mean you won’t make it. Because being in love with someone isn’t everything, sometimes just loving them is enough. And The Doctor loves Rose Tyler. He’s on the edge, he loves her but his heart isn’t ready to fall in love with her yet. And he knows she isn’t ready either. They’ll get there, they just need time. And that’s ok.

The Doctor leaned forward and bumped his nose gently with hers, tilting her head and capturing her lips. She sighed the second their lips met and John smiled into the nearly innocent kiss. Her lips were soft as they moved against his own, wet and eager and John was lost in the taste of one Rose Tyler. John really did lose his mind when she ran her tongue along the seam of his lips, asking for entrance. When his own mouth opened everything exploded before his eyes; fireworks, just like in the movies.

They sprang apart at the sound of the bell, cheeks flushed and lips swollen. Rose was breathing heavily and John had trouble remembering how to breathe for a second or two.  
John pulled himself to his feet and held out his hand. Rose grinned, tongue between her teeth as she slipped her hand into his. He pulled her up and held her close, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Rose,” He breathed into her hair. “Run away with me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! quickly wanna say that yes, john being shoved into the wall outside torchwood will play into the story later, probably in the next chapter. it wasn't totally random. secondly, does anyone want more Jack/Ianto? Jack/River? or maybe Jack/River/Ianto? let me know! I hope you guys have liked the story so far! ^_^   
> lastly, finals start this week so i won't be writing till after all of that is done, however my mom is forcing me to go spend my summer with a bunch of people i don't know so expect me to be hiding on my computer most of the summer! lots of writing and tumblr for me, yay!  
> I love all of you so much! thanks for encouraging me throughout this so far! <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River certainly has been on vacation for awhile, has anyone heard from her? The District certainly hasn't and it looks like her job is paying the price. With a new principle, who John hates from first glance, things seem to be going down hill at Gallifrey High. With the new principle picking on John and taking a liking to Rose only bad things are sure to come for our teachers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING THIS CHAPTER IS SLIGHTLY NSFW IN THE BEGINNING. It's not really graphic but i did want to warn you guys about that. Ok, continue...

Chapter 10.

Rory leaned heavily against the wall behind him, his breathing heavy and his face flushed. Amelia grinned up at him from where she knelt on the floor before him.

Rory grinned back and said, “I think you just blew my mind.”

“Actually, I just blew you.” Amy replied. “But it’s nice to know that I did so well that you confused your brain with your dick though.” She had a shit eating grin before it broke open and she started giggling.

“Amy, ssshhhh!” Rory hushed her quickly. “We’re gonna get caught!”

“Relax, babe.” Amy pulled herself up, tucking Rory in and buttoning his pants when she stood. Rory leaned close, pulling her into a kiss and groaning at his own taste in her mouth. “You’re beautiful.” She whispered against his lips. “So fucking beautiful when you come.”

Rory groaned again and rested his head on Amy’s shoulder, pressing his lips to her neck.

“Am I interrupting something?” Jack’s voice jolted the couple into reality. Rory lifted his face as Amy went about buttoning her shirt.

“Yes, Jack, you are!” Rory growled, stepping in front of his girlfriend. 

“Relax, beautiful,” Jack smirked as Rory blushed. “I was just wondering why I could hear moaning in my classroom, ya know the one next door?”

“Jack!” Rory’s voice squeaked as he realized what his friend had just said. Shit, everyone could hear them! Or at least Jack, and somehow that could be worse.

“Relax, I didn’t have a class this period.”

Amy smirked at Jack and Rory nearly imploded at what she said next. “He really does moan beautifully, doesn’t he?”

“Amy!” Rory scolded; his face heating up and blushing a deep red.

“You’re a very lucky woman, Amelia.” Jack winked before ducking out of the room. They could hear his laugh echoing in the halls.

“I really thought we were gonna get away with that.” Rory said, defeated.

“Ya well; you never were good at keeping quiet.” Amy kissed his cheek. “Come on, babe, lets sneak into the ladies and get you cleaned up.” She winked and Rory followed her out of the room like a dog on a leash.

“Amelia!” John caught the couple just as Rory slipped into the bathroom. Amy groaned but smiled at her friend.

“Afternoon, John.”

John quickly noted her smeared lipstick and miss-buttoned shirt but didn’t think much of it. Amelia was always a mess in the mornings and didn’t really notice until she took her lunch.

“I kissed Rose.” He blurted out.

The red haired woman’s face lit up as she embraced the other teacher. “Oh John, that’s wonderful!”

“I know but…Amy I, ugh, now what?” John fumbled with his words. He was inexperienced in this field, having not been in a relationship since myspace was still in use. 

“Just be together, take things slow, she’s still learning too.” Amy smiled before quickly ducking into the bathroom.

John frowned when he heard a man in the bathroom marked ladies, but he hurried down the hall to his classroom. What happened between Amelia and Rory, even on school campus, was none of his business.

\--

When lunch rolled around John was practically vibrating with nervous energy. His students had spent a better part of an hour prying into his life, thankfully without much success, resulting in John forgetting the homework and spilling his tea all over the recently graded tests. The students still gladly took them and some even asked if he was ok. He had good kids in his classes-even when they’re being unreasonably nosey.

“Doctor?” Dean looked at his teacher with concern. The senior was standing in the doorway, backpack slung over his shoulder even though everyone knew all that was in there was many things Dean shouldn’t have at school and all the strange lore and horror books the boy seems to have an endless supply of. Nothing that could contribute to school.

“Yes, Dean?”

“Um,” Dean shifted nervously and his eyes refused to meet The Doctor’s.

“Dean, is everything ok?”

“No, not really, I don’t know.” Dean shuffled into the room and dropped his bag before falling into a desk chair. He ran his hands over his face and sighed heavily.

John waited patiently for his student to continue. Something was clearly bothering the him and pushing someone who already had trouble opening up, (a fact John had learned after having Dean in his class as a student or a TA for the three years he’s been attending), wasn’t going to help anyone.

“My dad,” Dean began after a long pause. “He goes outta town, sometimes even state, for his job. He leaves me and Sammy behind usually, so we can stay in one school, he didn’t used to do that but high school and Sam begged, I just…well, he left a few days ago, I don’t remember where, California I think, maybe Oregon.” Dean ran his fingers through his hair and breathed deeply, this was difficult for him, asking for help, talking about his family, all of this was new territory for Dean and John was grateful that Dean had chosen him to trust.

“Well, he always calls, sometimes before bed and in the mornings, but he always calls.” Dean explained. “I haven’t heard from him since he left.”

“Do you have any way of reaching him?” John didn’t approve of children being left alone for weeks but this wasn’t the time to criticize or judge John Winchester’s parenting style. Life is hard and he’s sure the man is doing the best he knows how. John needs to focus on calming down Dean and finding a way to help the boys living without a father at the moment.

“No, he isn’t picking up his cell and I don’t know the name of the motel he’s staying at. I don’t even know the town…” Dean looked so fucking lost and disappointed. “I’m supposed to look out for the family, for Sammy, but I didn’t even think to write this shit down when he told us.” Dean was scolding himself, anger clear in his voice. “I-I just wanna know that he’s ok.” He whispered the last part to himself and John felt his heart crack. This poor child just wanted his dad to be okay, he didn’t need to have this responsibility shoved on his shoulders.

“It’s ok Dean, we’ll figure this out.” John said in an attempt to relax Dean. “Does he work with anyone else you can reach?”

“My uncle, he works with my dad sometimes.”

“Okay, great, do you have his number?”

“Yes, I don’t know why I didn’t think of calling him before…” Dean pulled out his phone.

“It’s ok, Dean, you were scared and our brains don’t always work well when we’re scared.” John replied calmly. “Just breathe ok? Relax and then call your uncle.”

Dean nodded, eye shining with gratitude.

“You can use my room to call him; I need to go get some coffee.” John stood up and walked around his desk. He smiled at Dean and squeezed his shoulder. “I’m glad you came to talk to me about this, Dean. Tell me what happens, ok?”

“Ok, and thank you, Doctor.” Dean mumbled, phone gripped in his hands.

John turned and left the room, closing the door behind him so Dean wouldn’t be bothered.

\--

“You look pale, everything ok, Doctor?” Jack asked as John shuffled into the teachers’ lounge and up to the coffee maker. He poured a cup and added way more sugar then was strictly necessary before turning to Jack. 

“You don’t drink coffee.” Amy stated from her place by the window.

“I do today.” He replied simply. 

“You still stressing about Rose, Sweetie?” Amy asked sympathetically, but John wasn’t listening. 

There was a man sitting at another table in the lounge, a cup of coffee in his rough hands and nearly manic look in his dead eyes. He was dressed in a suit and a paper was placed on the table in front of him, the paper was from last week and he didn’t even seem to be reading it. John didn’t like this guy, not just because he seemed off in every sense of the word, but because John knew him.

“You’re the guy who pushed me over!” John blurted out; sudden anger bursting threw his words. “Outside of Torchwood you pushed me!”

The man looked up, a smirk curved his lips and his eyes lit up-whether the light was hell fire or glee John didn’t know, maybe it was both.

“So I did.” The man replied calmly.

“Well, you gonna explain why?!” John leaned his hands on the table the man sat at, trying his best to impose fear in the man.

“Do I need a reason?”

John fumbled, eyes wide and confused. “Of course you need a bloody reason!”

“Oh, well in that case, I wanted to.” He replied steadily, a smile gracing his lips. “You looked like you needed a push.”

John didn’t reply, simply glared daggers at the older man until Amy spoke up.

“Ok boys, let’s relax.” Amy soothed. “Now, tell me who the hell are you?” 

The man looked startled for a moment before schooling how features and smiling cooly at the teachers.

“You haven’t heard?” When no one responded he continued. “Well, your precious River Song has been fired and I’m her replacement. Your new principle, Harold Saxon.”

“You’re full of it!” Amy scoffed. “River’s only on vacation.”

“Really? Hm, then I suppose the district gave me the news before they did her.” He stood up from his seat and nodded at John. “Be prepared for some changes as I settle into your mediocre education system.” And he was gone.

“What the actual fuck?” Amy growled. “I’m calling River!” Amelia stormed from the room, pulling her phone from her pocket.

“River would have told me, she must not know.” Jack said almost as if he was forcing himself to believe the words. 

“You should call the district.” John replied.

“Ya, make the charming one do all the work.” Jack teased before slipping from the room, most likely heading to his classroom. 

If River could be fired then anyone could. John couldn’t stand the thought of losing any more of the family he had built here. This school is his home, his life, without all the people he loves…well then it’s just a mediocre school with a shitty budget and pealing wallpaper in every room. They’ll fix this; no way will any of them let this asshole call himself the master of their school. That’s River’s job. 

\--

Rose was walking down the busy hallways, her eyes glued to the notes John had left on the test questions she was considering for the first semester exam next week. 

[Rose I might have to steal your questions…English questions so good they’re on my science test. Ha! What a test that would be!]

[Is this question using me as an example??? Do I really talk about space that often?]

[BANANAS ROSE WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU USE ORANGES IN THIS QUESTION WHEN THE SUPERIOR FRUIT IS BANANAS!!]

[You’re handwriting is cute, like vines wrapping around each other.]

She grinned and blushed at the last line, crossed out a million times but still readable. Rose read it again and again when she ran straight into someone, her papers flying out of her hands and all over the shiny linoleum hallway.

“I am so sorry!” Rose rushed out as she dropped to her knees to gather her papers. 

“Don’t worry doll, not your fault, I really should have been looking.” The man before her replied. He dropped down beside her and finished gathering the papers, handing them over and helping her to her feet.

“Doll?” She asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Does it bother you?” He asked, seemingly offended that anyone would question him.

“Ya, it does actually.” She replied. “I’m sorry to have bumped into you but I really need to be on my way.” 

The man stepped into Rose’s way before she could escape into her classroom.

“Listen, I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m the new principle.” He smiled and Rose pressed a force smile onto her face for the sake of her job.

“New principle?” 

“Yes, I started today. I met some of your colleagues in the lounge. They didn’t seem too happy to have lost River Song.”

“Of course, they are all very close.”

“You’re new correct? Never met River Song?”

“That’s correct. Rose Tyler, new English teacher.” Rose held out her hand and he shook it, his grasp firm and cold. 

“Well it was lovely meeting you Ms. Tyler; I hope to see more of you.” He smiled in a way that set Rose on edge before he swept away down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp Canada is nice, it's pretty and cold and the people i live with are nice. my anxiety is through the roof but hiding in my room gives me time to write! hope you lovely people enjoy this chapter and don't be afraid to tell me what you think!   
> I know I've kinda cut Clara out of the story but i'm gonna work on getting her back in, she isn't a huge important character but she is one of the teachers so she'll be back.  
> Reinette should be back soon as well, since Rose and the Doctor are together she's gonna be extra flirty and pissed to hell.   
> The Next Chapter should have a huge part about Dean and Sam and how John helps deal with their dad (Supernatural is my weak spot, i had to add them in. Plus i think its an important thing to show how john's students trust him? idk)  
> Honestly no idea how i'm gonna tie everything up but i look forward to figuring it out.   
> Thinking of doing a chapter of Jack and the torchwood characters? maybe set in the past or him dealing with everything he fucked up with ianto? idk its important to Jack's storyline and it could be an interesting chapter. what do you think?
> 
> That's enough of me talking, thanks so much for reading this fic and encouraging me to continue, i love you all! See you soon ^_^


	11. Chapter 11.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John takes Rose on a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry sorry, I really don't have an excuse here. I've just been so into reading/writing merthur that I totally forgot about this fic. Anyway I'll try my best to get the next chapter up asap so be prepared for some drama between Rose and the Doctor, The Return of River Song and how she deals with the master and of course more Amy and Rory fluff.

Chapter 11.

Rose leaned against the doorframe to the teacher’s lounge, John sat alone looking upset. She sighed and walked over, sitting beside him and taking his hand. He looked up and smiled, his hand squeezing her own.

“Something on your mind, Doctor?”

“Just worried is all, I’m a good worrier.” He tried to laugh it off but it came out flat and Rose frowned.

“Oh, Doctor, It’s all ok. Just a new principle.” Rose tried. “River’ll be back soon.”

“Ya,” He didn’t sound like he believed her.

“Doctor?”

“Ya, Rose?” He still looked worried.

“I like you.” She grinned as he blushed and smiled shyly. He dipped his head and she reached out and tipped it back up so she could see his eyes.

“I like you too, Rose Tyler.” He leaned forward and stole a quick kiss that left them both grinning.

“Mr. Smith?” A blonde girl poked her head in.

John looked over and frowned, of course the day had to get worse.

“Yes Reinette?” He replied with a fake smile.

“I was wondering if you could help me with, uh, my homework?” She sounded sweet, sickeningly so. John wanted to roll his eyes but no matter how obnoxious the girl was she was still his student and that meant he had to be professional.

“Lunch is about to end, you should have asked me sooner.” John replied, his hand playing with Rose’s fingers under the table.

“What about tomorrow, before school?” She asked hopefully, her long nails clicking on her binder and her eyes narrowing at Rose.

“Sure, Reinette, that would be fine.” John agreed. “But do try to finish it at home.”

“Of course, Mr. Smith.” She bit her lip and smiled before turning and leaving the room.

“Who’s that?” Rose asked, never having been told of the troublesome student.

“Reinette, my student.”

“She likes you.”

“Well that must be difficult for her, seeing as how I like you.”

Rose giggled and kissed him again just as the bell rung. They both pulled away reluctantly and sighed.

“Plans after school, Ms. Tyler?”

“Yes actually, with a gorgeous science teacher.” She grinned, tongue between her teeth.

John couldn’t function with her smiling so beautifully at him; his heart was working over time. He might need to get a second one just for her, The Rose Tyler heart.

“Yes you do, so don’t be running off after the final bell rings.”

“Of course Mr. Smith” She grinned cheekily before leaving the room in a quick movement of blonde hair and pink trainers.

\--

“Hey, Doc!” Jack called as he ran to catch up with John before he got to his classroom.

John stopped and turned to Jack just as he slowed from a jog to a walk.

“Ya?”

“Drinks after work?” He looked hopeful, like his eyes were begging.

“I have plans, Jack, sorry.”

“Oh.” Was he disappointed?

“Do you wanna talk about something?” He must, Jack always wanted to go drinking but this was different. Jack never got disappointed if John said no because he could always ask Amy or Clara and it was always a yes from at least one. Jack loves John most but he can function without him, so why does he look like a kicked puppy?

“Doesn’t matter, I’ll ask Amy.” And he was jogging away. John can already feel the guilt twisting in his stomach but he can’t say yes, he can’t ditch Rose. Amy’ll just have to deal with whatever it is on her own.

\--

The rest of the day went by at a slug’s pace, the clock inching by and the students (and John) watching it go. It was brutal. He just wanted to take Rose out, although he didn’t know where yet. 

His brain keeps swinging between Rose and Jack. He felt awful about choosing Rose over his best friend but sometimes he needs to put what he wants over what his friends need from him, and that’s ok…so why does his stomach keep churning with guilt?

John tried not to dwell on it, choosing to finish class and begin planning his date with Rose.

“Mr. Smith?” It was Dean, standing awkwardly in his doorway. It was seventh period and John should ask why Dean isn’t in class but he doesn’t.

“Hello, Dean, sit down.” John gestures to the desk in the front of the class and they both go to it. Dean doesn’t sit in the chair, instead leaning against the desk and looking at his shoes, John wasn’t used to Dean being so silent. Dean was loud and annoying when it came to class, making everything into a joke-whether or not the joke was dirty was depending on the grade of the class. John frowned and sat on the desk beside Dean.

“You okay, Dean?” John asked carefully. “Did you find your dad?”

“Actually ya, I talked to him.” but Dean didn’t sound too happy about it.

“And he’s ok?”

“Ya, he’s fine.” Dean replied as if that wasn’t even a question, kids always think their parents are fine and Dean was no exception. “We have to move next week though, he was looking for an apartment out west someplace.”

“He’s taking you out of class before the quarter even ends?” John knew the Winchesters had a long history of moving randomly during the school year, the kids’ records were miles long and each school said they just up and left. John should ask, it was a strange situation, but he knew he wouldn’t get an answer, no one ever had before.

“Yep, no biggie just thought you should know.” Dean shrugged and looked up at John with that stupid cocky smirk. He was hiding and John knew it but he let it go. Dean wasn’t his kid and he had no right to question how they were raised.

“Gonna miss you kids, some of my favourite students.” John squeezed Dean’s shoulder before standing. “Anything else?”

“Nope, better get going.” And Dean was out the door before John could even say goodbye. The situation left too many questions and not enough answers and John struggled to understand why.

The bell rang and John sucked in a breath as his last class started filing into the room.

\--

“Going to tell me where we’re going, Doctor?” Rose asked. They were in his little blue car, heading down the highway as the sky grew dark and the starts started to twinkle. Rose had on some top 40 pop music that John would never admit to liking but he did to her, both of them belting out the lyrics at different tunes that were both just as off. Rose had her feet on the dash, pink trainers with scribbles of cartoons random words, like a girl in junior high and it made John oddly giddy. Rose was so childlike at heart just like he was, maybe that was one reason why he enjoyed her company so much.

“Nope, gotta be patient, Rose Tyler.” He loved say her full name, like a sweet he could eat over and over.

She fake pouted before unrolling the window and letting in a blast of cold air. It smelled fresh and clean and John couldn’t wait to get out of the car. It was only another half hour before John was pulling over and parking beside a large field and a small farm house. Rose looked confused but she didn’t question him, just followed as he grabbed a blanket from the car and led her out into the field. When they had settled and John leaned back and Rose followed he felt lighter than air, happier then he could ever remember being. He reached out and took her hand before pointing up at the sky.

He watched as an expression of awe took over her face. Her eyes were sparkling almost as bright as the stars above, so clear and bright. John used to come out here all the time and just watch the stars, dreaming of exploring them.

“It’s beautiful.” Rose whispered and John grinned.

“I wanted to show you what I mean when I call you beautiful.” He spoke softly, already feeling the blush taking over his face and climbing high on his ears.

Rose rolled towards him and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips, smiling and cuddling against him.

“I used to want to be an astronaut.” She said after awhile.

“Ya?”

“Ya, when I was younger I always wanted to know what was in the sky. Of course then I wanted to be a teacher and English just called out to me, forgot all about the stars.” She sounded nostalgic and John pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I wanted to be an astronaut up until I was 15 and I blew up the chem lab at my school. Chemistry just seemed so much more fun after that.” He laughed and Rose giggled and shook her head.

“You’re nuts.”

“Only for you.”

They stayed out in the dark, holding each other for warmth, until nearly 3am. Rose started falling asleep so John huddled her in the blanket and led her back to his car. The ride back was long and quiet but comfortable and John felt his feelings for Rose grow but the second. This amazing, beautiful, and brilliant woman was with him and the thought was astounding to him. He didn’t deserve her and yet he wanted nothing more than to be with her.

She stayed at his house, cuddling in his bed and whispering secrets from their childhoods as they fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ilysm you guys <3


	12. Chapter 12.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things between John and Reinette come to a head and Harold really messes with the wrong girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you look at that, I wrote another chapter =P

The next morning at school John and Rose walked in holding hands, smiling and laughing about some stupid thing John had done early in the morning. They teachers’ lounge is almost empty save for Amelia, who is pouring herself a mug of coffee. Rose kisses John’s cheek before turning and leaving, heading to her classroom.

“Looks like you had a good date.” Amy remarks, smirking over her mug.

John blushes. “Yes, it was fantastic.” He grins and Amy smiles I return.

“I’m glad.” She hands John her mug and leaves the room, tossing a “I expect details at lunch!” over her shoulder.

John sips the coffee, gags, and leaves it on the counter. He heads towards his classroom, dreading helping Reinette with her homework. The blonde is sitting on his desk when he walks in and she breaks into a flirtatious grin at the sight of him. She hops down from the desk and takes a seat in her desk, John moving to sit beside her.

“Okay, so have you worked out what to do?” John asks, hoping beyond hope that there are only a few questions she has left.

“Actually, I don’t understand any of it, professor.” She has pushed her desk as close to the one John is sitting in-Martha’s?-and John really wishes Amy was here to deflect this girl. Amy is great at making Reinette uncomfortable in her flirting to the point that she won’t even look at John with Amy around.

“Okay, well, let’s start with question one then.”

As John helps Reinette to understand the work he knows she already has all the answers too, she starts to caress his arm and bat her eyelashes in a way that is not nearly as adorable as when Rose does it. John is more than uncomfortable, body stiff and words clipped, but Reinette doesn’t seem to notice or is choosing to ignore it.

“Class is going to start in five minutes and I have some setting up to do, can you finish the rest on your own?” John ask, standing up and frowning when Reinette follows suit.

“Absolutely, professor,” She purrs, “you’ve been such a help. If only there was some way I could repay you.” She moves close, pinning John against his desk and shoving her body against his.

“Reinette, this is highly inappropriate.” John tells her firmly but she doesn’t move back and John can’t risk shoving her off of him for fear that someone will see and make assumptions about John harming his students.

“Am I being a _bad girl_?” her red lips curl into a wicked smirk and John tries to lean away. She grabs his tie and runs her sharp nails over the fabric, pulling him closer and smashing her mouth against his. John gasps and struggles to get away, but Reinette continues to mash her mouth against his in a way that reminds John of his first kiss-awkward and not at all pleasurable. When she finally releases him she’s gasping and grinning, red lipstick smeared.

“Reinette that was incredibly inappropriate and I would appreciate it if you would not do something so _unwanted_ again.” John growls at her before storming from his office and towards the bathroom, just knowing he has red all over his mouth now. He doesn’t look back to see her reaction, hoping she’ll finally understand.

When John returns to his classroom, face clean and tie straightened, the rest of his class has arrived and Reinette is frowning at him from her seat. John hopes that frown is a good thing and not an ‘I’m going to sue you for sexual harassment’ frown.

Martha breaks into a grin as he walks in and his stomach drops, grinning students can only mean trouble.

“You had a date,” Martha announces.

“Yes, yes I did.” John leans against his desk and looks at his class with a raised eyebrow.

“Care to share with the class?” Shawn pipes up and John nearly laughs, multiple kids do.

“Please do, I’m just _dying_ to know.” Reinette groans sarcastically from the front row. Martha rolls her eyes and looks at John eagerly.

“We went to the country and stargazed.” John tells them, turning to gather some graded tests from his desk. He hears Martha and Gus aww while Shawn makes a comment about some movie John has never seen-he wonders if Dean would have laughed, probably.

“That’s it? How…” Reinette clicks her nails on her desk. “Cliché.”

“Well I think it’s sweet.” Martha tells him.

“Like you know anything about a good date.” Reinette comments.

“And you do?” Shawn asks. “Your dates are more like snobby remarks that leads to cold sex and regret.”

Reinette gapes at him, Martha snickers behind her hand, and John knows he should scold the young boy but he just starts handing out tests instead.

“I’ll have you know my dates are classy, not cold.” Reinette informs him and Shawn just raises an eyebrow.

“Really? That’s not what Dean said.”

“What did he say?”

“Oh nothing.” Shawn smirks and Reinette starts to blush, rage painting her words.

“Spill, Spencer!”

“Perhaps you should wait in the hall, Reinette, until you can calm down.” John speaks up, handing an A+ test to Burton Guster.

“Excuse me?” She gapes and John just points towards the door. She groans and stomps out into the hall. Shawn laughs and John smiles at the boy.

“Excellent work, Shawn, but maybe you should put just as much effort into your tests as you do into teasing your classmates.”

\--

Rose smiles as her class packs up and leaves, chatting adamantly about the upcoming project. Rose is about to leave and go find John or just a cup of tea when Harold walks in with a crooked smirk and a dark look in his eyes. Rose goes cold and faces him with a fake smile plastered on her lips.

“You’re a wonderful teacher, Ms. Tyler, I can only assume all your students have crushes on you.” He walks in and the door clicks closed behind him, Rose swallows uneasily.

“I don’t believe that’s true, only John has a crush on me.” She tells him, hoping John’s name will make him back off.

“Ah yes, the chem teacher.” He sneers, now standing close to Rose. “He’s not much of a man though, more like a boy. You need a _man,_ Ms. Tyler.”

Rose frowns. “I happen to like John, and he’s more of a man then you’ll ever be.” Rose tells him harshly, praying he won’t fire her.

“Or maybe you just haven’t been with a real man yet.” Harold leers and backs her up against the wall, placing his arms on either side of her head and effectively trapping her.

“You’re making me uncomfortable, Mr. Saxon, could you move?” Rose tries for strong but her words come off shaky, flash backs to Jimmy flashing in her mind.

“Gladly,” He replies moving closer and pressing his lips to her neck. Rose cringes at the feeling. He’s practically purring the words ‘so beautiful’ and ‘mine’ against her skin and Rose can feel her stomach twisting and her eyes burning with tears. Rose acts before she thinks, just knowing she needs to get away. She rams her knee up into his crotch, causing the piece of filth to double over in pain and allowing her to escape. She rushes from the room and right into Amy.

Relief washes over Rose as Amy wraps her arms around her, keeping her safe. Amy doesn’t ask, not yet any way, just leads Rose away from her room and towards the girls’ bathroom.

Rose pukes the second her knees hit the floor in front of the toilet and Amy is right behind her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Rose sobs and leans into Amy after a few moments, breathing rapid and uneven.

“Sorry,” Rose mumbles, reaching up to wipe her eyes. “Don’t mean to be such a bother.”

“It’s fine, sweetheart, no bother at all.” Amy shushes, “I’m always hear for you.”

“I just started thinking about before and then he…” Rose trails off and Amy takes her hands.

“It’s okay, Rose, I’m here now. You don’t have to explain, just tell me who hurt you and I’ll kick their ass.”

“I love you.” Rose laughs and Amy wraps her in a hug. They sit like that for a while, just holding each other on the bathroom floor as Rose calms down.

“Class started five minutes ago, they’ll be looking for us.” Amy mumbles into Rose’s hair.

“Harold, it was Harold.” Rose says, pulling away from the other girl. “He forced himself on me so I kneed him in the crotch.”

“Oh that bastard!” Amy growls. “I’m gonna kick his perverted ass!”

“No, you can’t!” Rose objects. “He’ll fire you.”

“So fucking what?” Amy asks, fire in her eyes. “He hurt you, no one does that and gets away with it.”

“Amy, please, I’m fine.” Rose pleads as Amy hauls her to her feet.

“No you’re not, you were crying for over ten minutes and you puked twice. He hurt you, he made you relive something traumatic while also sexually assaulting you, no Rose, that’s not even close to okay.”

Rose smiles softly and hugs Amy again, holding her tight.

“I am so glad you’re here.”

\--

John holds Rose as they sit on his couch, movie playing but neither of them are paying it much attention, more focused on the events of the day. Jack had finally gotten in touch with River only to discover she wasn’t fired but rather on an indefinite leave of absence. Jack doesn’t think she’ll come back and Amy had to follow him into the bathroom to actually comfort him.

Rose was on edge all day and Amy seemed to be everywhere, protecting and offering hugs and reassuring smiles. Amy didn’t kick Harold’s ass but she did make a call to the board and now Amy and Rose have a meeting with the district head this weekend, something Rose is not happy about but knows it’s important.

Rose didn’t tell John what happened until after school just in case he made a scene. John had insisted that he make her dinner and she had agreed, needing to just be around him. He burned what ever it was that he tried to make and ordered a pizza instead, leaving them to cuddle on the couch with full bellies and pizza grease lips.

“I love you.” John kisses the words against her temple and Rose twists in his arms, turning a surprised smile on him.

“Do you now?” She asks, moving to sit in his lap.

“Well, yes, as it turns out I love you very much, Rose Tyler.” He admits, stumbling over his words and blushing to the tips of his ears. Rose gives him her tongue in teeth smile before leaning close and kissing him deeply.

“I love you too, Doctor.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack finds out why River left and hasn't come back.  
> Rose struggles but now she has a family to protect her.  
> Harold is dick and Amy wants to set him on fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late again I know but I stopped watching Doctor forever ago and I don't read or write fics for it anymore so this is hard to get into the swing of.

Jack holds the phone tightly, trying to stay calm as River explains the situation. He is the only one without a first period so the teacher’s lounge is empty; giving him privacy to talk to someone he thought would always come back. River is a free spirit, much like Jack himself, but he could always trust that she would come back from wherever she went and be with him but here she is, telling him that she isn’t sure she’s coming back this time.

“What’s so important in Skaro?” Jack asks, curious about what could be more important then what they have together.

“There was this war, hundreds of thousands of years ago; we don’t have an exact date yet.” Rive begins to explain. “And they want me to lead the excavation of the battle grounds as well as write papers about it so we can create a time line.”

“So you’re leaving me and everyone else so you can dig up some bones?” Jack asks, hoping she’ll at least fight for something long distance.

“This is what I do, Jack, and you knew I’d leave that place if I ever had the chance.” River argues, sparks of anger in her voice. “You knew from the beginning this was all temporary so don’t act like I’m in the wrong here.”

“So that’s it?” Jack drops his shoulders and hangs his head, feeling as if everything around him is breaking apart.

“You can always come with me, Jack, even though I know you won’t.” River’s voice is soft again, all charming and argument stopping.

Jack wants so argue, to tell her of course he’ll come but he can’t find the words. Jack used to run everywhere but he never did it for anyone but himself, running someplace he has no interest in going just to be with River seems as pointless as buying John a hat. And that’s when he realizes he doesn’t love River, not as deeply as he thought he did anyway. Sure they were great together and Jack wouldn’t have given up a moment he had with her but he also knows it’s time to let her go. No matter how much it’ll hurt, River was never his to keep just as he was never hers to love.

“Goodbye, River.” Jack says, trying to something with his tone, something to let her know she’ll always have a piece of his heart. Because he can’t say it and she knows that, he can only hope she knows he wants to say it.

“Goodbye, Jack.” River sighs. “Go try and fix things with Ianto, okay? Even a friendship with him is better than nothing but memories.”

River hangs up and Jack puts away his phone, feeling as if she was never there to begin with. A dream, a child lost to the world. River has always been better off running from the world, getting lost and refusing to be found. Jack leaves her like that, a thought inside his head rather than someone who could have become his whole world.

\--

Rose and John sit in his classroom, not saying a word and waiting for his next class to come in. Everything seems so unreal, River leaving and the board debating the future of Harold’s job. Even their relationship feels unreal, as if it’s been stretched between universes.

Rose tries to keep going, tries to focus on John, but all she can see is Jimmy and what he did to her.  She has been skittish and vacant all day, something that isn’t fair to those around her but who ever said surviving was fair. John has been doing his best to stay positive around her, trying to keep her mind off of Jimmy and Harold. Always so sweet, forever someone she doesn’t deserve, someone too good for her. She didn’t think that way when she kissed John, or when they said ‘I love you’, she hasn’t felt so worthless in a long while but old memories bring up old feelings.

“I love you.” John says and takes her hand. “They’ll fire him and everything will be okay.” He assures her and Rose nods.

“Promise?”

“I promise, Rose Tyler.”

\--

Rose walks into the teacher’s lounge with John, hand in hand. Amy and Rory are sitting together, mumbling things only Jack wants to know. Jack is sitting alone, looking out the window and looking almost as lost as Rose. John assumes River must have called. Clara is back, sitting at the table with Amy and Rory, looking slightly pale and probably wishing she had extended her vacation. Rose sits with Clara and smiles when Clara takes her hand.

“I figured the board would have called by now.” John says and sits with Jack.

“They’re probably calling Harold now,” Amy says. “Hopefully firing his ass or else I’ll have to do it myself.”

“You can’t fire people, love.” Rory tells her and she gets an evil look in her eye.

“But I can set people _on_ fire.” Amy laughs and Rose feels something lift in her chest.

Rose isn’t great, but she’s okay and that’s more then she could have ever asked for. She has a family and a safety net, she has a place to call home and people would do anything to protect her. Rose smiles, realizing that she hadn’t thought about Jimmy since she stepped into the room. They’ll protect her and that’s why she’s okay, John will always love her, Amy will always protect her, Clara will always offer comfort, Jack will always make her smile and Rory will always be there to remind her that there are good people in the world.

“Thanks you guys, just sticking up for me means a lot.” Rose announces and everyone smiles, Amy grinning and looking proud.

“Looks like this is where the party is.” Harold walks in the room, kids looking curious as they walk by the room and down the halls.

“No need to greet me, this is my last day after all.” Harold says and everyone seems to brighten for a moment. “But this doesn’t mean you’ve won, Ms. Tyler.”

Rose pales as he walks out.

\--

It’s getting dark by the time Rose is ready to leave work, tired beyond belief. Amy and John are still working away, finals just around the corner and work piling up. Rose walks through the quiet halls, blowing John a kiss as she walks by his room and smiling when he blushes. Outside she is hit with cold air, a shiver running all over her body. She wraps her coat tighter and rushes to her car, just wanting to get home and fall asleep for the rest of the weekend.

“Ms. Tyler.” A voice like a blade in the darkness makes Rose jump, spinning away from her car to face the speaker. Harold.

“I’m leaving.” She starts fishing around her bag for her key and nearly jumps when Harold leans against her car.

“You got me fired, the least you can do is talk to me.”

“I’d rather not.”

“Now don’t be a tease.” He warns and Rose’s hands start to shake, making finding her keys much more difficult.

“Fuck off,” Rose spits, finding her keys and moving to unlock the door.

“How about I don’t.” He moves in, trapping Rose against the car and keeping her from unlocking it and getting inside.

“Get away from me,” Rose growls, swinging at him with her keys between her knuckles. He catches her wrist before she lands a blow, a cruel smirk twisting his lips.

“Let her go,” It’s John, standing in the parking lot with a look in his eyes that Rose never thought him capable of. It’s a look of someone who is will to do anything to protect her, and Rose isn’t scared of what he’ll do, she feels safe.

“Do you have to ruin the fun, Johnny?” Harold asks like a child. “Just walk away, no one has to know.”

“Let. Her. Go.” John says, moving forward and grabbing Harold by the collar. “Or you won’t like what happens next.”

Harold tries to swing at John but he misses, landing on the car instead. He winces and John flings Harold into the car, knocking him to the ground. Rose just watches as Harold picks himself up and hurries away, shouting nasty things back at them. John embraces Rose, mumbling soothing words into her hair and rubbing circles on her back.

“I love you.” Rose whispers and she can feel John smile against her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got rid of Harold pretty fast, i know, but i'm trying to wrap this up (another chapter or two?). But anyway, let me know what you think and kudos are always welcome.  
> Thanks for sticking with me this far! ^_^


End file.
